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Brian Gutekunst new Packers GM
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<blockquote data-quote="HardRightEdge" data-source="post: 758455"><p>I don't think in an organization this small the consultant-speak term "silo" is quite accurate. But that's the term you use to characterize problems as organizational rather than pointing fingers at individuals.</p><p></p><p>In this case, the term "fiefdom" was probably more appropriate, but that term casts aspersions on one or more lords of the various manors who don't communicate with each other and you'd be left to wonder who is to blame.</p><p></p><p>But when you look at the outcome, the names have changed but not the organizational structure:</p><p></p><p>Murphy is the defacto GM, Gutekunst is the defacto top personnel evaluator, McCarthy is still the HC (and probably more of a HC with Capers gone), a new DC who will likely be more accountable to the HC than the last one, and a new OC who will be the de facto assistant OC as were his predecessors. And Ball is Ball still reporting to Murphy.</p><p></p><p>So, what's the management problem Murphy is trying to solve? Consider the following:</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.espn.com/espnradio/playPopup?id=22017011" target="_blank">http://www.espn.com/espnradio/playPopup?id=22017011</a></p><p> </p><p>I believe the root problem was Thompson was not acting in the full capacity of a GM. For years we were told by him that he's just a little old scout doing what Ron Wolf taught him. I think there's considerable evidence that wasn't just self-deprecation as Brandt notes.</p><p></p><p>You can talk about the importance of giving coaches autonomy to do their job but there has to be accountability, and I believe the internal perception was Thompson was not demanding it. Perhaps McCarthy would have made a change at DC earlier if he thought his GM had his back instead of being hands off or taking a "let's leave it alone, let's stay the course" reluctance to dig into the issue.</p><p></p><p>Then there's the matter of communication. If there was some kind of Chinese wall between the scouting and the coaching, "I pick the ingredients, you cook the meal", that can't possibly be constructive. You would want a GM to give proper hearing to the needs expressed by his coaches. If Highsmith is to be believed, Thompson didn't even grant that within the scouting organization. That doesn't mean a coach or a scout always gets what he wants, or that GM won't disagree, but when you hire these people as subject matter experts you have to work their thoughts into the overall picture.</p><p></p><p>So, Murphy's doing what a lot of managers do when things get dysfunction and/or they're getting heat and they don't have definitive answers: they step down a notch and get hands on to figure things out.</p><p></p><p>Is he qualified to do so? He's been around football for a long time, and it's a managerial problem as much as a football problem, so I think he has a decent shot. Those responsible for defining needs from the coaching perspective (McCarthy), needs and talent assessments from the scouting perspective, and cap considerations from the finance guy look like they are going to get an equal hearing. Maybe all these guys will be spending some considerable time together in the same room brainstorming and making their individual cases. It's Murphy's job to make sure it is collegial, constructive and consensus-building. And in the process evaluate all of these guys in a way that perhaps Thompson did not.</p><p></p><p>Now, Brandt said in that clip that Murphy intends to review game plans. I would not make more out of that than what's there. As the new de facto GM, he'd be interested in his coach's thought process. I wouldn't worry about him suggesting changes, and I would not expect this to last very long.</p><p></p><p>Whether by self-initiative or under pressure from the board, Murphy is digging in, in a phase, to find out "what the hell is going on out there".</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="HardRightEdge, post: 758455"] I don't think in an organization this small the consultant-speak term "silo" is quite accurate. But that's the term you use to characterize problems as organizational rather than pointing fingers at individuals. In this case, the term "fiefdom" was probably more appropriate, but that term casts aspersions on one or more lords of the various manors who don't communicate with each other and you'd be left to wonder who is to blame. But when you look at the outcome, the names have changed but not the organizational structure: Murphy is the defacto GM, Gutekunst is the defacto top personnel evaluator, McCarthy is still the HC (and probably more of a HC with Capers gone), a new DC who will likely be more accountable to the HC than the last one, and a new OC who will be the de facto assistant OC as were his predecessors. And Ball is Ball still reporting to Murphy. So, what's the management problem Murphy is trying to solve? Consider the following: [URL]http://www.espn.com/espnradio/playPopup?id=22017011[/URL] I believe the root problem was Thompson was not acting in the full capacity of a GM. For years we were told by him that he's just a little old scout doing what Ron Wolf taught him. I think there's considerable evidence that wasn't just self-deprecation as Brandt notes. You can talk about the importance of giving coaches autonomy to do their job but there has to be accountability, and I believe the internal perception was Thompson was not demanding it. Perhaps McCarthy would have made a change at DC earlier if he thought his GM had his back instead of being hands off or taking a "let's leave it alone, let's stay the course" reluctance to dig into the issue. Then there's the matter of communication. If there was some kind of Chinese wall between the scouting and the coaching, "I pick the ingredients, you cook the meal", that can't possibly be constructive. You would want a GM to give proper hearing to the needs expressed by his coaches. If Highsmith is to be believed, Thompson didn't even grant that within the scouting organization. That doesn't mean a coach or a scout always gets what he wants, or that GM won't disagree, but when you hire these people as subject matter experts you have to work their thoughts into the overall picture. So, Murphy's doing what a lot of managers do when things get dysfunction and/or they're getting heat and they don't have definitive answers: they step down a notch and get hands on to figure things out. Is he qualified to do so? He's been around football for a long time, and it's a managerial problem as much as a football problem, so I think he has a decent shot. Those responsible for defining needs from the coaching perspective (McCarthy), needs and talent assessments from the scouting perspective, and cap considerations from the finance guy look like they are going to get an equal hearing. Maybe all these guys will be spending some considerable time together in the same room brainstorming and making their individual cases. It's Murphy's job to make sure it is collegial, constructive and consensus-building. And in the process evaluate all of these guys in a way that perhaps Thompson did not. Now, Brandt said in that clip that Murphy intends to review game plans. I would not make more out of that than what's there. As the new de facto GM, he'd be interested in his coach's thought process. I wouldn't worry about him suggesting changes, and I would not expect this to last very long. Whether by self-initiative or under pressure from the board, Murphy is digging in, in a phase, to find out "what the hell is going on out there". [/QUOTE]
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