The Depth Chart

6 comments

I recently started watching a program on HBO called Hard Knocks.  The program is about the trials and tribulations of NFL training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs.  In the last episode, they discussed the every-changing depth chart.

imageEvery NFL team has a depth chart.  Most are listed on their team’s website including the New England Patriots here.

Every position on the team is critical and has a depth chart of at least three players plus a pool of reserve players in case of injury. 

At the end of the last episode, the coaches were shown on a big board moving the magnetic names around.  It got me thinking…if every corporate job is critical why don’t most companies have a depth chart?  If their is no depth chart, is the position really that critical?

More posts on managing succession forthcoming…

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  • http://www.workstreaminc.com Gary Damiano, SVP Marketing, Workstream

    A great point raised in this post. Businesses absolutely must place a greater emphasis on creating a deep employee ‘bench.’ Many companies have a plan for CEO succession, but few know what they’ll do when the leader of the most profitable solution group leaves. Right off, team members lose focus on group goals, and senior managers begin looking for jobs at competitor companies. The domino effect leads to management puling a team lead from another group to ‘sub’ for the departed executive, but he/she generally has little or no experience in that particular solution area. This is not a formula for success. Progressive companies recognize the need to have a succession plan that impacts all key employees, a task that ideally is managed with advanced talent management software. This way, business can continue to chug along successfully despite the inevitable staff change.

  • Jason Corsello

    Great comments Gary. I was talking with a friend of mine in the Washington DC area on Sunday night about the Washington Redskins. She made some interesting comments that during training camp, the team had focused little to no effort on the starting quarterback…it had already been decided. Where they were spending most of their time and efforts was on determining and developing the backup quarterback . Quite interesting!

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  • http://www.starrtincup.com David Hisbrook

    This model has great power; particularly for one Starr Tincup client who consults on succession planning for their clients in the public sector. The reason it applies to them is that governments have very hard and fast job descriptions and definitions – yet the personal attributes they are seeking could come from the next level (or a lateral level) in another department entirely. The attraction for such a client is the concentration of personnel. All directors know all the managers. Thanks for this interesting post.

  • http://upsidejobs.com Executive Positions

    yes! i like that idea of a “Depth chart” why hasn’t anyone thought of that before. and if they have it needs to be implemented already =)

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