Case Study 5.1: Lombardi’s Packers” From Last in the League ot the Best Legs in the League
Discussion Questions
- How did Lombardi’s actions help change the player’s perceptions of themselves and their abilities? How did it create success for the Packers?
When Lombardi arrived the Green Bay Packers were a losing team. This was in part due to the morale of the team. The traveling conditions and nutritional staples were subpar, and a professional athlete cannot be eating crappy food, traveling on bumpy planes, and them sleeping on lumpy mattresses and be expected to perform well the next day at game time. All of it however, was not the fault of management. The players also like to have a good time and did not take their job seriously, which is why Lombardi instituted a system of fines in order to break these self-handicapping behaviors. This not only changed the behaviors of the players, but it also changed the perception that the townspeople/owners had of their players. By improving the traveling conditions, increasing the intensity and regularity of team practices, and implementing a dress code for players, Lombardi made the players look and feel like winners, and they reacted accordingly by winning more games than they lost their first season with Lombardi and becoming the most successful team in the league the following year. Lombardi’s leadership created success for the Packers he was willing to set a high standard and work with the player’s who were willing to work to meet and exceed that standard, but he also willing to get rid of those who did not. People love to please, and if they have sincere leader, and can see the positive changes, they will work harder for that leader than they ever thought possible.
- The Packer culture was tolerant of losing before Lombardi took over. How might this culture have a created a Golem effect?
If much is not expected, then much will not be given. The town, management, and previous coaches had been very permissive of the players and did not hold them to high standards. By setting low standards for the players in regards to performance, public appearance, practice, etc. They were communicating to the players, that their performance and image was not important. If the owners,management, and coached do not care and have no standards for the players, why would the players want to work hard and self sacrifice to win a game, when no one else care. These attitudes are what created the Golem effect for the Packer’s prior to Lombardi’s arrival.
- How did Lombardi’s changes to the team’s professionalism and physical ability help change the identity the Packer’s had created for themselves and their fans?
Lombardi instituted policies that held the players to a higher standard, like making curfew, being on time for meetings and practice, wearing shirt and tie when travelling. He also made their practices intense enough that they would be able to adequately perform for the duration of entire football game. He made sure that they understood that they had the skills and ability to be winners, they needed to put for the effort to become winners. Once that was established and they saw what they could accomplish if they worked hard, they and their fans saw themselves as professional athletes, and a winning team.
- Lombardi Instituted a rule that player’s could not drink standing at a bar. While not all players would drink alcohol or visit bars, the actions of those who did would be attributed to the entire team. What kind of effect is this? Why is it important to manage perceptions held not only by oneself but also by others?
Fundamental attribution error. It is important to manage perceptions held not only by oneself but also by others because people perceptions influence what they think about something and/or someone. Therefore, if people see players at the bar drinking and throwing back shots and being loud and obnoxious, they don’t see individuals they see Packer players drinking and getting drunk standing at the bar. Lombardi wanted to stop this perception and did so by fining players 150.00 if they were caught standing at a bar drinking
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