Are you ready to adopt a ‘West Coast Offense’?

Christopher B. Coyle

02/19/2007

The Super Bowl is always a good occasion to glean business insights from the world of football. The sport has become highly competitive, with ever-higher amounts of money invested in new stars and constant rule changes. Strategies are retooled annually, as the life cycle of innovation continues to shorten.
In the business world, companies are also facing changing marketplace rules, investing more in new “star” products and trying to drive innovation to remain competitive. Achieving and sustaining competitive advantage is tougher than ever.
Observing football, one might conclude that better athletes, improved training and conditioning regimes, more scientific scouting or other factors made the largest impact. However, one of the most compelling lessons from football is about better execution.
A strategy called the “West Coast Offense” (or WCO) has fundamentally changed the game of football. It focuses on structured and disciplined execution of a plan of attack, not worrying about the latest star or gimmick plays.
As wonderfully chronicled in Michael Lewis’ book “Blindside,” football responded to the quickening pace of change with a new urgency to find innovations to gain a competitive advantage. Most football franchises responded like most businesses would in their own markets: sink even more investment into new products looking for the “star” performer, specialize in selected market segments and spend more on advertising.
But in a corner of the league, a simple idea quietly took shape. The WCO, most frequently associated with Bill Walsh, former coach of the San Francisco 49ers, took the focus off the individual performer, instead requiring the team to perform in specific roles at specific times.
The WCO centered on timing passes to certain areas on the field into which specific receivers would run. Meanwhile, other team members had specific assignments based on the sequence of each phase of the play and their required role in it. Its genius was in its efficiency of shorter, more accurate passes, and its power came from utilizing the team as a collective force. The system was now the star. Execution was now the new source of sustainable competitive advantage.
How do you apply the principles of the WCO to business?
TIMING
As with football plays, timing is critical in winning new business.
Whether entering new markets or going after a new contract, all opportunities follow predictable phases as they unfold. Each offers specific opportunities to shape the outcome and requires the right resources at the right time. Early in the process, certain skills are required to identify and assess openings, risks and opportunities.
Later, other expertise is needed to implement the strategy and make adjustments.
Too often, business resources are organized by departments or aligned by subject matter. The players define themselves by their department or specialty based on when they are required to act.
A business WCO plays the right expertise at the right time. For example, involving technical and financial experts earlier in the process to help define and shape a customer’s requirements is often more effective than bringing them in later, when expectations have already formed.
PROCESS
A key to an effective football offense is a well-choreographed process in which each player understands his assignments and the time sequences in which he must perform.
When a business implements the discipline of coordinated activities within a clear and defined process, all resources are productively focused on their specific assignments.
In a well-oiled sales process, it is not about the star salesman or the best PowerPoint presentation; it is about a disciplined process starting at the beginning of the opportunity.
ROLES
Clear role definition shifts the focus from personality-driven deals to a team-oriented approach. Companies may invest in star players, but improving team execution always proves to be a better investment. And when each buying decision is broken down into its component elements, one discovers that several factors shape the final outcome.
It is team member roles and assignments within the overall system that drive new competitive value. While many in business organizations may define themselves by their position – “I am just in service” – the fact is their value is actually defined by the role they can play in each opportunity.
For example, service professionals may play an important role earlier in a sales process if the game plan includes selling one’s service capabilities as a competitive differentiator.
Is this all just football talk? No! Just look at the results of companies that have focused on improving their revenue and margins through better execution.
Execution-focused companies typically report faster speed to market, lower cost of sale and, most importantly, a higher win rate with higher margins. The employees also report improved communications and higher productivity as they find new value in playing a more meaningful role in winning new business.
Just observe a Southwest employee, whether a pilot, flight attendant or ground agent; they all understand that they are defined by more than their title; they understand the roles they play to win your business loyalty.
Execution-focused companies still invest in R&D and perform all the fundamental tasks of driving business growth. But the elements of a business WCO offer a new unifying force for value creation. As Michael Dell was once quoted as saying, “Ideas are a commodity; implementation is genius.”