Brainiacs weigh in on BYU's grid success
Deseret Morning News - October 2007 - By Dick Harmon
Bronco Mendenhall could see his team lose Saturday to Eastern Washington. Or crumble before San Diego State and Wyoming on the road, or trip up at home against TCU, CSU or Utah.
But even half that likely won't be the bet.
In the course of three seasons, Mendenhall has reinvented BYU football, discovered what makes it tick, and massaged its soul. Thus, a record nine-game MWC road win streak, an 11-game win streak in the league and undefeated record at home in 2006 and so far in 2007.
How?
Many reasons stand out, including recruiting, coaching and lots of luck. But Mendenhall must also be credited for accepting outside help offered through athletic director Tom Holmoe. He encouraged the coach to engage an organizational expert on leadership in the person of brainiac and former BYU football player Paul Gustavson.
Gustavson coached Mendenhall into finding ways to fix BYU's program, to use its best competitive advantage to do what the school does best.
During BYU's bye week Oct. 4-5, Gustavson invited 15 members of a renowned think tank, the Woodland's Group, to visit with BYU football players, tour the Missionary Training Center, NuSkin International, Genealogy Library and meet with Middle East expert Bonner Ritchie of the Marriott School of Management.
This group of the world's brightest organizational behavior scientists routinely takes field trips to study organizations from the U.S. Supreme Court Justices to IBM, the Cherokee Nation and the governor of Georgia. Its members include experts who have advised Bill Gates and even Desmond Tutu.
After introductions by Holmoe and a welcome from Mendenhall, the group was handed over to senior linebacker Bryan Kehl, corner Kayle Buchanan, center Sete Aulai and linebacker David Nixon.
"They just wanted to see what the organization was like, how we were using our competitive advantage," said Buchanan.
They quizzed the players on what they do and why.
"I had to really stop and think, breaking it down in my own mind, to give them some precise points," said Buchanan. "I touched on how coaches and players are interacting to more effectively disseminate game plans so we don't waste time on the field with interruptions, how we work harder with more quality reps so we're not practicing sloppiness."
Contacted for feedback on their visit, two members of the group sent me reaction via e-mail on Tuesday.
Stew Liff of Los Angeles is the author of "Seeing is Believing" on Visual Management and former chief of Veteran's Benefits Administration's Human Resources Division.
Wrote Liff: "The team has a united bunch of hard-working and dedicated players who see football as a means to an end, not an end in itself.
"Coach Mendenhall runs the team as an organization, not merely a football team. By applying lessons he's learned from world-class thinkers such as Paul Gustavson, he has provided the team with a series of competitive advantages that traditional football coaches do not see.
"The BYU football team is truly a learning organization that thinks outside of the box and prepares its next generation of leaders for more responsible positions. The team's football facility is absolutely magnificent. It is designed in a whole-brained manner that leverages both the splendor of BYU's mission and tradition while tracking performance metrics at every level."
Liff toured the Rose Bowl after BYU played UCLA in September, and one of the tour guides remarked how impressed he was that BYU's team actually cleaned up after itself. Most football teams leave it like a party out of "Animal House." When asked about how UCLA treats the Rose Bowl, the guide told Liff, "They still have work to do."
Ann Herrmann Nedhi, president and CEO of Herrmann International, is recognized as the leading authority on the brain and learning (right brain/left brain research) with clients that include many Fortune 100 companies on incorporating brain research in learning and development environments.
Wrote Herrmann Nedhi: "It is always interesting to step into an organization that talks about the importance of culture and learning. I am blessed to work with some of the world's greatest corporate organizations and often find that reality does not match the articulated goals.
"My time spent with the BYU football players renewed my faith: Bronco's leadership and focus on development of these fine young men has created a culture of learning that I have rarely experienced. The true test is when you hear the players talk about why the program works, why they believe it is the winning strategy and how they see it as a competitive advantage.
"A wise friend once defined culture to me in this way: It is what happens when the leader is not around. I took the opportunity to talk to the players off-line, who were able to clearly articulate how they had grown through the program and how Bronco's leadership had inspired them to be the best they could be."
Concluded the CEO, "It was particularly exciting for me to see the way they are consistently applying our research on what we know about the brain and performance in such a practical and tangible way."
