The game plan for success: Leverage data, get organized and use your time wisely

By Jeff Arnold, Motion Industries

I think it was Lou Holtz who said, “Ability is what you’re capable of doing, motivation determines what you do, attitude determines how well you do it.” Most coaches and teams have bought into the school of thought and coaching style of: Do your job, focus on it, do it to the BEST of your ability – and if the whole team does their individual jobs – the team will win.

One thing every winning team needs to do the job, though, is information. It is a challenge, as a team on the field tries to use information from the sideline coaches – their alignments, their game plays – and they are often penalized for delays in implementation or do not run the right play because they are overwhelmed or did not understand the plan. Maybe they are just not familiar enough with the information to use it, or the data is not relevant anymore because the game situation has changed.

In business, it seems every day we get a request for more information, new business plans, and new reports to do, all in effort to help our team to be successful. We must grow, be accountable, identify needs, gather and track all information, and use the experiences to improve on performance. I have always said, and it has been proven, that the ones with the most information will win the game.

How do you take the first steps to correct this? How do you be a winner with all this information, implementations, changes, and requests of you? Have a team game plan – the days of struggling with it on your own have passed.

Embrace change. Do not be overwhelmed with change and more to do. Someone may be throwing you a winning touchdown pass.

Harness your time. All of the requests of you have one thing in common: Time. Do you feel like you do not have time anymore? Actually, you have the same amount of time as always. Did you know that centuries ago, there was no such thing as “organized” time? The Mayan people are credited with creating it. Why let it ruin you? Control it: If you completely control and understand this aspect of what is required of you to do your job in every game, you win.

Get an early start. Not being proactive and tying to following business team game plan in the fourth quarter will not work. Choose to master one task daily or weekly and be that complete “first-round” or franchise player on a winning team.

Get organized. It is very popular to declutter your home life these days. Declutter your business life also. Stop worrying over problems; solve them or move on, because they may be keeping you from bigger things. Make a Top Five list and accomplish them, but do not be afraid of a team game plan change.

Use the tools. Most people have no idea of the tools available to them. Look around, be resourceful. After 20 years at my very large company, I am still finding tools and people that can help me.

Ask for help. Stop trying to do it all yourself. How many times a week does someone contact you offering something that could help? Every position in football has a separate coach to help make a better team. In addition, if you feel you do not have time to meet with possible help or are afraid to trust them, just think a small amount of your time and you could fine another teammate to help you be successful the rest of your career. Do not be closed-minded; look at the people that you have let in and are still helping you today. There are more out there.

In my long career, I have opened up and given time to most all manufacturing representatives willing to help. Moreover, I have found some amazing partners I consider my equals and my friends. They have helped make me what I consider very successful. Long-term friends even after business, they brought me thousands of opportunities, and helped make me a better player in business.

One such partner and friend has gone from mostly competition over the years to helping us grow new business substantially in just a couple of short years. I gave him a chance and he was very professional, very knowledgeable, straightforward and trusted; I learned his techniques, absorbed his information, and it made me a better player. I have people!

Gathering information and sharing it with my team has given me new tools to be successful. The people/coaches on the team showed me the position to be in and have given me the tools to get touchdowns.

Keeping information to yourself is not job security. Stay the same, and you get the same or less every time – not a smart game plan. You cannot coast for long; coasting takes you downhill and someone with initiative will take your position. Leverage the information the right way, get organized, and use your time wisely; and you’ll not only stay in the game but come out the champion. Embrace a Team Game plan and use it.

About the Author: Jeff Arnold

Based in Mobile, AL, Jeff Arnold is Director of Sealing Solutions and a Hose Specialist for Motion Industries' Conveyor Solutions Group. Jeff holds certifications as a Garlock Certified Sealing Specialist and Gore Certified Sealing Specialist, and has more than 40 years of field experience in gasketing; sealing; pump/valve packing; and hose, rubber, conveyor belting; working with applications across the industry. For more information, visit MotionIndustries.com/plantservices.