Monday, March 24, 2008

The Wonderlic Test Strikes Again!- Part 1

Each year the NFL administers an intelligence aptitude test called the Wonderlic at the combine. The test results are used to help determine draft placement of the potential players. Below is taken from yesterday's Chicago Tribune:

Wonderlic results
Scores from the Wonderlic tests given at the scouting combine. Wonderlic tests are given to help gauge the intelligence of prospects. A person of average intelligence is supposed to score a 20. NFL teams like to see quarterbacks, offensive linemen, middle linebackers and safeties score higher, because those positions can be mentally demanding.

At quarterback, neither of the top two prospects laid a Wonderlic egg. Boston College's Matt Ryan and Louisville's Brian Brohm each scored an impressive 32.

Most of the top offensive linemen also tested well. Michigan's Jake Long scored a 26, Pittsburgh's Jeff Otah scored a 28, Southern Cal's Sam Baker scored a 27, Vanderbilt's Chris Williams scored a 32 and Boston College's Godser Cherilus scored a 25. Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady had the only disappointing score from the top group of blockers, a 13.

Is This Really The Best Assessment for Performance Intelligence?
Okay, so from the article above you would think that these player's who scored fairly well would have future star potential right? WRONG! In fact, just like all of the physical tests, these player's can specifically prepare for the Wonderlic Test as well. Take a look at an example question:

-The ninth month of the year is:
October- January- June- November-May

For more sample questions visit http://espn.go.com/page2/s/closer/020228test.html

A general intelligence aptitude test has very little to do with on-the-field decision making ability for football. In fact, take a look at the following article reference below:

Intelligence and Football: Testing for Differentials in Collegiate Quarterback Passing Performance and NFL Compensation

Abstract
This article presents an empirical analysis of the relationships between intelligence and both passing performance in college and compensation in the National Football League (NFL). A group of 84 drafted and signed quarterbacks from 1989 to 2004 was selected for the study.

The author hypothesizes that intelligence is the most important and perhaps most rewarded at this position, and a wide variety of passing performance statistics are available to separate the effects of intelligence and ability. The OLS-estimated models reveal no statistically significant relationship between intelligence and collegiate passing performance. Likewise, the author finds no evidence of higher compensation in the NFL for players with higher intelligence as measured by the Wonderlic Personnel Test administered at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Check These Score Out
Brett Favre- 22
Dan Marino- 14
Vinny Testaverde- 18
Daunte Culpepper- 15
Steve McNair- 15
Peyton Manning- 25

The point here is that these are some of the most accomplished names in NFL Football History and there scores are quite low!

So if the Wonderlic might not be the best option for determining a player's mental potential, what would a possible solution be?

I will give you a hint... it has something to do with the extrinisic value dimension.

More on this topic in Part 2 coming shortly!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Intrinsic Coaching Tip!


Below is taken from an article that I recently finished on 'The Value of Coaching'. This statement continues to remind me of my ultimate goal when training athletes:

"If you want to get more out of your athletes, stop viewing them as performers and view them as people. Working with them on what you can see (physical) is the easy part. It is working with the part that you can't see that is ulimately the most rewarding."

Sunday, March 09, 2008

'It Pays to Look, Listen, and Learn'

Below is an article in today's Charlotte Observer that is a quick but great read that I thought you would enjoy:

It pays to look, listen, learn
STELLA M. HOPKINS

Marine Lieutenant General Joe Weber recently addressed a luncheon group of Marines, former Marines and other military service members in Charlotte.

Joe Weber was a student at Texas A&M University when school president and D-Day hero Maj. Gen. James Earl Rudder taught a valuable lesson.

"We thought we were hotshots," said Weber, now a three-star Marine general. "He said, `You need to understand. Your purpose is to sit and let us teach you a little about the world before you go out there trying to change it.' "

Listen and learn before acting is advice that served Weber well during his 36-year career as he rose to be among the nation's 10 highest-ranking Marines.

Now he commands 74,000 Marines and a $32 billion budget. He's in charge of organizing, training, outfitting and dispatching Marines and their gear to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere in about half the world. His main war-fighting group -- based in Eastern North Carolina -- numbers about 50,000 Marines.

He recently addressed a Marine support group at a lunch in Charlotte and talked with the Observer about leadership, delegation and motivation. Questions and answers are edited for clarity and brevity.

Q. What are the key attributes of a good leader?
You've got to get up in the morning, look yourself in the mirror, and you've got to like what you see. You've got to know yourself, know your strengths, weaknesses. You've got to know your people, their strengths, weaknesses. And you've got to know your job. If you don't, the people working for you will pick up on that very quickly. You have to empower your people, make them feel they're part of a team, that they contribute to the decision making.

Q. How do you balance that contribution with the military's need for soldiers that follow orders?
I didn't say question decisions all the time, but you're not going to get people to obey you on a moment's notice, over extended periods of time, if you don't have the established trust and loyalty. Maybe it will work once by fear and intimidation.

Q. What has been the hardest aspect of leadership for you to master?
I'm a pretty basic type guy. To be a really great leader, you've got to be a visionary, look out to the future. That's hard for me. I'm pretty enthusiastic and charismatic. I probably don't focus out in the future as much as I should. That's difficult when you get wrapped up day to day.

Q. How do you decide what to delegate?
That's determined based on the environment you're working in, the conditions you're working in, also who you have to work with, what your people are capable of doing. That goes back to knowing their strengths and their weaknesses. We should always be looking to delegate as much as we can, to give your people as much as you can, to learn to use their own leadership to resolve problems. And knowing when you can't, you have to pull back.

Q. How do you train people to know which decisions are theirs to make and to have confidence in making them?
That's done over a period of time, with a lot of face to face, a lot of discussion, a lot of people having access to you, seeing on a day-to-day basis how you work -- what makes the boss happy, what does he like, what doesn't he like. When people know what to expect, then I think that helps give confidence to make those decisions.

Q. You're responsible for tens of thousands of people, some of whom will be wounded or killed. How do you motivate folks who face such high on-the-job risks?
A lot is leadership by example. You have to demonstrate courage. You've got to be focused on providing good training so when they go into dangerous situations they're focused and confident. You've got to be honest and loyal. Loyalty runs both ways, up and down the chain of command. You have to instill a sense of brotherhood and teamwork. No one person is more important than the other in these dangerous situations. Young Marines in combat will tell you they fight for each other. You've got to build that. Then they'll do anything you want them to do.

Q. The war in Iraq is unpopular. Does that affect motivation?
They're all volunteers. They're enthusiastic. They very much know what they're getting into. That's different than the Vietnam War when we had the draft. The nation, communities, no matter what they think about the war, the support has been there.

Q. What about you?
Anytime you're in a large organization, you're subject to criticism. Look at our politicians, our CEOs. Generals in the military are no different. You have to handle it. Sometimes the critiques you get make you a stronger person.

Q. You were chief of staff of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, March 2004 to May 2005. Are we making progress there?
When I first got over there, I felt we'd made some mistakes in how we thought it would turn out. My attitude was, we are where we are. Let's see how we can make it better. Today, if I went back, I would be surprised. It appears they've made a lot of progress.

Q. What's your best advice to any leader, in or out of the military?
Don't ever forget where you came from. It keeps you in touch with the people you're leading and taking care of. It's very, very easy, as you get more powerful, to think you're a little more important than you are. You forget what you're there for: to take care of your people.

TALK FROM THE TOP
AN OCCASIONAL CHAT WITH BUSINESS LEADERS
Joe Weber
MARINE LIEUTENANT GENERAL
Lt. Gen. Joe Weber
Born: Texas. Age: 57.
Family: Married, two children, one granddaughter.
Military family: Daughter married to a Marine. Son, an F-18 pilot with the Marines in Beaufort, S.C.
CAREER
1972: Graduated Texas A&M University, commissioned an officer, began career as an artillery officer. Served in multiple command and staff positions around the world, including locations from Mississippi to Japan, Oklahoma to Panama, as well as posts at Marine headquarters in Washington, D.C.
1998: Became brigadier general.
2005: Named the commanding general for III Marine Expeditionary Force, stationed again in Okinawa, Japan.
July 2007: Became Commander U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command; Commander USMC Bases, Atlantic, and Commanding General Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, stationed in Norfolk, Va.
Thoughts on returning to a U.S. command after spending 8 of last l0 years overseas: "It's an appreciation you really gain about how good we have it here. We're blessed."