Football playbooks aren’t as different as you might think.

NFL and college teams run many of the same concepts. Inside zone. Outside zone. Gap schemes. Y-Cross. Mesh. Four Verticals.

The biggest difference isn’t always what you’re running. It’s what you call it.

When I played for Coach Mike Leach at Washington State, one of our staple concepts was Y Cross. We called it “95.”Another team might run the exact same concept and call it Cross, Gambler, Flounder, or something completely different.

None of those names are right or wrong. But if I walked into our huddle and used terminology from another offense, we’d be screwed.

The same thing would happen if I signaled something to a receiver and he reverted to what that signal meant at his previous school or team. We might both understand football, but if we aren’t speaking the same language, ambiguity creeps in. And ambiguity kills execution.

I saw this with new coaches, too. The coaches who adapted the fastest to the Air Raid offense learned our language. They stopped translating everything back into their old offense and became fluent in ours.

There is value in bringing outside experience into an organization. New ideas can make the organization better. But there is a difference between bringing your experience into a system and refusing to join the system.

When I became an offensive coordinator, I knew how important it was for everyone to speak the same language. One of the first things we did was create a glossary for our terminology. Our fronts, coverages, pressures, routes, protections, footwork, plays, and signals all had specific names and meanings.

That way, our players and coaches could all be on the same page, communicate clearly, and execute effectively.

Great offenses can communicate an entire play with one word or signal and snap the ball in under ten seconds. That speed is only possible because all eleven players speak the same language.

Businesses aren’t that different.

Most organizations are running versions of the same basic plays. Sales. Hiring. Onboarding. Customer service. Meetings. Performance reviews.

The question is, what do those things mean here?

What does “urgent” mean? What does “ownership” mean? What does “done” mean? What does great customer service actually look like inside your organization?

If ten people have ten different interpretations, you don’t have clarity.

You have ten different playbooks.

As a leader, it is your job to create clarity. Your people need to understand what your culture stands for, what your standards look like, what is expected of them, and the common language your organization uses to communicate those things.

Get on the same page with your team and create a common language.

 Easy Easy,

-Luke Falk

See you next Monday!