When I saw the comment "Laughing at Tavon Austin", I was immediately struck with the thought "Why? Why are we laughing at a player's perceived failure?" Why laugh at Tavon Austin's situation yet not laugh at Greg Robinson's failure which was so much greater? Why laugh at all? It's sad.
You know, so often when a person fails in a position in business or sports, we blame the person. Why? Because it's easy to point to. It's the easy out. What we fail to do is analyze the root cause of the problem. Why did this person fail? And in this case...why did Tavon Austin fail...or let's say not succeed?
When hiring people, the best hire is one that is
the right person for the right job. That determination takes time. It takes lengthy consideration.
Let's assume that most people are right people. They are well intentioned. They want to succeed. They want to belong. At least in my opinion, in that light, most of us are
right persons.
I think we all can agree that Tavon Austin was a right person. He was well intentioned. He wanted to succeed. He wanted to belong. He even made the concession to restructure his contract. He could have said no. The Rams would have cut him and received nothing for his value.
So, with the premise that most people we meet and consider to be part of our team in life are right people, how do we determine that we are putting this right person in the right job? How do we limit the risk that we are putting a right person in the wrong job? And, who is at fault when a person fails/doesn't succeed at their job? Is it the person? Maybe. But, if the decision maker/the manager puts a right person in the wrong job...well...who made that call?
There are three questions that help us to minimize the risk of putting the right person in the wrong job.
1) Can the person do the job?
2) Will the person do the job?
3) Does the person fit the team?
When determining that you have the right person/right job, you MUST have a yes to all three questions. I liken these questions to an image of a three legged stool. Each question is a leg. If you say no to one question, you cut the leg off. And, if you cut just one leg off, what happens to the stool? Timber!
We have seen individuals in our life that are in positions that cause them to fail because there is a "No" answer to one or more of the questions.
Let's take the questions backwards.
Does the person fit the team? Well, we have the superstars. They can do the job and they are work as hard as anyone, so they will do the job. However, nobody likes them or they cause so much chaos with other work/team members that everyone else's efforts are affected. I'm sure most of you have seen that person at your work. In terms of the NFL, I would call that person...say...Terrell Owens.
Will the person do the job? We likely have experienced the a person who has all the ability to excel at their job and we like them. However, they tend to be disinterested in doing the work. We have a person who can do the job and fits the team but doesn't have the will to do the job. For example, give a person who hates detail some detailed work and watch them crash and burn. In terms of the NFL....I would call that person...say...Albert Haynesworth.
Can the person do the job? I'm sure you all have seen this one. The person tries so hard. Everybody on the team is pulling for them because their a good guy/gal. However, they just don't get it. They don't have what it takes to do the job that is being asked of them. In terms of the NFL...I would call that person...say...Tavon Austin.
Tavon Austin did not succeed to a level we expect of the 8th overall pick of the draft. We gave up lots of draft capital for him. We extended his contract and gave him significant dollars, not at his request, but because management initiated the discussion.
In my opinion, Tavon Austin, while a right person, was put in the wrong job. He was assigned the wrong type of work. I don't think we were ever able to use him to his skill set, in part, because we had other players with a skill set that covered his.
So...when looking at the situation let's ask...
1) Who drafted him?
2) Who made the decision to move up in the draft to get him?
3) Who laid out the plan to utilize his skill set?
4) Who decided to extend Austin to a lucrative contract before it was necessary?
There is an answer. What was the root cause of the problem? It's called management. They're called Snead, Fisher and Demoff. Each of these individuals made a call to put a right person in the wrong job. Each of these individuals are responsible for building up fan expectations. And, when the fans' expectations/team's expectations weren't met, we blame the player. People laugh at the player.
The blame fall to the management team. The phrase I hate to read on this board is when a poster says "Well, they (Snead, McVay, Demoff) know more than you. Well, if they do, then they are at fault.
To laugh at a player for not succeeding is sad. Honestly, while I never laugh, I do fall in the trap sometimes of blaming the player. I directed a lot of shots at Greg Robinson but in reality, he was a right person. He was just put in the wrong job. I think fit the team. I think he had the will to do the job. He just couldn't.
So...when talking heads laugh, or we as fans laugh at a player's failure, I think we need to redirect that reaction to the people who are the one's who made bad choices in the first place.
Laugh at Snead, Fisher and Demoff.
I wish Tavon lots of success. I hope the Cowboys find a way to utilize his talents because I do believe he has the talent to make a solid contribution to the team.
