Book Review: Implementing Change in the NFL 1

I just added a new book to my Resources page on my site. Mike Pereira’s new book After Further Review: My Life Including the Infamous, Controversial, and Unforgettable Calls That Changed the NFL has some great nuggets on change management that apply to any change methodology you may be using.  It is a must-read if you are implementing change into a stodgy organization!

Mike’s book is written in an easy to read, conversational style that is completely devoid of any of the structure you may be used to from more technical readings.  More of a “fireside chat” than anything else, it serves as a memoir of his days as an official at virtually all levels of football.

The book provides details on his motivation for not only reaching the pinnacle of his profession, but also the way he was able to create new positions for himself as he progressed.

What really resonates in his book is his drive to improve processes.  He describes the various problems he identified through multiple aspects of the game of football, and used his ability to effectively communicate to gain support from stakeholders in order to improve the quality of the end product (the game) to the customers (the fans).  One big piece of this was his simplification of difficult-to-interpret rules.  This resulted in reduction of variation in officiating.  If you use or teach Gage R&R, this book has some great examples that draw from the “real world” that help drive the point home.

It is an easy read that will put a few new tools into your change management toolbox.

If you’ve read it, please leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

One comment on “Book Review: Implementing Change in the NFL

  1. Reply Matt Warnert Oct 3,2016 8:36 am

    Thanks for the recommendation Anthony. I’ll see if our library will pick it up. I referee quite a bit of varsity basketball and I always find it amazing how much variation there is in the “product” of refereeing. The human element plays a huge role in everything. I think it would interesting to hear from someone who has done something to minimize the affect that the human element has on the product.

    I think all levels of refereeing are ripe for process improvement. We just need someone to lead the change.

Leave a Reply