Selection Determines the Quality of Your Workforce By Dr. Bob Milligan, The LearningEdge
With this year’s NFL draft a short time away, sports pages and sports talk shows are buzzing with speculation about draft choices. Why do NFL teams spend millions of dollars preparing for the draft, and football fans become almost fanatical about it? The answer is that this is selection for NFL teams, and the choices determine team quality and success in the future!
the NFL draft a little further. Do NFL teams look only at the skill levels and past performance of the players? The answer is “NO.” They look also look at what is often called “fit.” There is the oft recalled 1998 draft where based on past performance and skills, everyone said the first two draft choices would be quarterbacks and the choice was difficult because the two had almost identical skills. The Indianapolis Colts, with the first pick, carefully Selection is when you choose studied many personal traits, includthose who are going to become members of your maintenance staff ing using sports psychologists, in - your team! The NFL is in a posi- their decision to draft Peyton Mantion where they do not need recruit- ning. The San Diego Chargers, ment. Essentially every quality with the second choice, selected football player wants to be selected. the seemingly as well qualified Ryan Leaf. Leaf turned out to be a You must first succeed in recruitment to you have quality candidates bust and Manning still is one of the to select. Given that quality candi- greatest quarterbacks ever. Selecdates have been recruited, selection tion matters! becomes crucial for you course, just as it is for NFL teams. In selection we need to look at more than experience and skills. Let’s pursue our analogy with This notion of “fit” has two dimen-
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