(Adapted from the preface of Hiring Secrets of the NFL, to be published by Davies Black Publishing, August 2007, in stores September 15th.)
How can football teams and companies maximize the chances of selecting future stars? This book is an attempt to define the rules of success for talent selection in the NFL and corporate ranks.
Football has much in common with the corporate world. Success in both results from complex plans aggressively and precisely executed. In both, it is challenging to select personnel with the appropriate balance of raw ability and accomplishment, and difficult even to conclusively define what experience is critical to success in the position. Yet mistakes are costly in both football and corporate human capital.
The origins of this book are interesting. It did not require much research or interviewing, but sprung nearly fully formed based on my work and interests over the course of my career.
I am an executive recruiter, a headhunter, who has spent twenty years experience consulting to advanced technology businesses on executive search, organizational design and strategy. I am also a writer focused on globalization and the B2B economy. For the past five years, I have written a monthly column The Commerce Chain, for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, syndicated through McClatchy’s online service. I have also write strategic white papers for B2B vendors seeking to optimize and digitize the workflow of their industry.
Always a sports fan, my fascination with the NFL draft grew over the years. Between recruiting calls, I found myself surfing web sites dedicated to NFL Mock Drafts and prospect evaluations several hours a week, first in the months before the draft, and after a couple of seasons, all year long.
Occasionally I would admonish myself for wasting time. I hardly watched NFL games on TV anymore, yet was fascinated by the interplay between pre-draft projection, draft selection and career performance.
One day it hit me: trying to predict the performance of NFL prospects feels familiar because it has so much in common with my day job, helping companies hire executive talent. I specialize in searches for executives who can help companies in rapidly changing industries, particularly those attempting to leverage Information Technology for strategic advantage. The business model and/or position are often new, and predicting success is even more difficult than usual.
This book is about how to build champions, in football and business. The first eight chapters each focus on a critical success factor for selecting talent in the NFL and its application in business. The final chapter outlines a model for applying these principles in business to improve the efficiency, speed and results of corporate hiring.
