Is It Halftime Yet?

Training camp starts this week for NFL teams. What's a better way to kick things off than a blog about halftimes?

Remember those games when your team can't seem to do anything right in the first half and the announcers claim that the coaches must have just yelled at the players the entire halftime? Although I'm sure that happens, it's not the best way to spend the valuable 12-minute break. Most successful teams steer clear of emotions at halftime because it's a waste of precious time.

Let's take a quick look at the methodical approach the Patriots use towards their halftime. Players are trained throughout the season as to what to look for and what to tell their position coaches during the first half of the game. The position coaches will head down, early if they can, to write down on the whiteboard the most important things to discuss with the 3 coordinators. All items on the whiteboard must have supporting evidence. The coordinators then talk with the coaches to determine what changes are needed. Then the coaches talk with the players. It's a very efficient communication loop.

Here are a few things that the coaches and players are trained to look for:

· Things they did not expect

· What hurt them most

· Tendencies of the other team

· Plays or variations of plays that could be effective

The results of the Patriots Way cannot be disputed. Here's a great stat. When down by 4 to 7 points at halftime, the Patriots win 58% of the games. The rest of the league only wins 29% of those games.

As a business owner, here are a few takeaways:

· Build a strong team around you.

· Build a dashboard that provides you with the right information at the right time. Delegation is key.

· Communicate and adjust.