Don t Go Gipper...

Don't Go Gipper...

Have you heard of the "Win one for the Gipper" speech by Knute Rockne, legendary football coach of Notre Dame? At halftime in a game against Army, Knute told his players the story of the tragic death of one of the greatest players at the University of Notre Dame. The players were so inspired that they cheered and stood up and ran out the locker door to defeat Army.

Although this is a wonderful story, it is not how businesses are run. "Don't go Gipper" and expect to get work done by telling a tragic story. Instead, lead by hard work and setting good examples. The point here is that people do not want to hear personal excuses for not getting work done. If you give a date that you will have something done and several people are counting on you to finish it, you had better get it done. Sure, once in a while there is a personal tragedy that might delay things, but biting off more than you can chew or saying that you are understaffed or lacking resources is unacceptable. This is another example of "Come on, feel sorry for me" or "Win one for the Gipper."