Good Advice from Bill Carollo, an NFL Referee

By Larry Laux
President and Founder
Yesterday I heard Bill Carollo, veteran NFL referee, talk to my son’s U14 soccer team. As you would expect, a ref that’s had experience in 8 NFL conference championship games, two Super Bowls and a Rose Bowl riveted the attention of the team. His message reminded me that sports, business and life in general can be dealt with successfully. I’d like to remind you, as he did to the team, of things you already know but may be overlooking as you run around at Mach 6.

Teamwork is important. If you are reading this blog you are somehow involved in the service business. It might seem that service is often ‘one-on-one’ as an engineer resolves a problem. But you know that the network of dispatchers, logistics people, supervisors, contract administrators and even vehicle coordinators each could mess up a successful service event, if they don’t do their jobs right. Part of teamwork is doing your job right. Another part is encouraging your teammates in their tasks. Take some time today to encourage one of your teammates, either complimenting them when they do something good, or encouraging them after a mistake. Letting them know what they are doing impacts others is in itself a team positive action.

There is no substitute for hard work. I suppose if your job were pure fun, they wouldn’t have to pay you to do it. But whatever part of your job is the equivalent of ‘hitting the weight room’ should be on your action list. To switch to a rowing metaphor, if someone in the boat is loafing on their oar, we will have a difficult time keeping t he boat going straight. Don’t be that person.

Passion for your team is good. This is much more difficult that it may seem. When you’ve been doing a job for 3, 5, 10 or more years, it is very easy to slip into a comfort zone. But caring, and showing that you care for your customers, your teammates and the issues they have to deal with is a differentiator. So often people would like the magic bullet to lose weight, to get the big bonus or to grab recognition. Being enthusiastic is a pretty magical potion, and it is contagious.

Character matters. Bill defined character as doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. He also spent some time talking about Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick. All of us, all of us have many opportunities every day to choose A or B, to get something done now or leave it for later, to shrug something off as ‘not my job’. And no one makes the right choice every time. It’s human nature! But you should challenge yourself to step it up a notch, even if no one is watching right then. And as Grandma used to say, “Nothing good ever happens away from home after midnight.”

Nothing here is unfamiliar, but you know what? I need reminders every once and a while. Bill Carrolo helped me remember last night, and I hope this blog note helps you in the same way.

Larry Laux