UM 060: Keep Your Bench Full

Untaming Masculinity

Risk Mitigation – the practice of reducing the impact of potential risks by developing a plan to manage, eliminate, or limit setbacks as much as possible

Most people know Tom Brady as the greatest QB and winner in NFL history. Few remember that he was the backup QB to a former #1 overall pick and multiple-time Pro Bowl QB, Drew Bledsoe, who had signed what was, at the time, the biggest deal in NFL history. Brady was thrust into a starting role after Bledsoe sustained an injury early in the 2001 season. Because the New England Patriots had a full bench, the rest became history.

In business and in life, we find ourselves in positions where we need someone to step in for us, whether due to promotion, leaving the company, time away, injury, etc. When those moments strike, do we have someone who can come in and not skip a beat? Additionally, are our teams where they need to be so we can delegate responsibilities and grow ourselves? Neither of these opportunities are possible if we don’t have a full bench.

Building a full bench will benefit you in any situation, both personally and professionally. Not only will it benefit you, but it will benefit the individual members of your team, as you are putting them in situations to grow and progress. If you find yourself in a position where you don’t have a full bench, you’ll be in trouble. So, it’s critical to get to work in building one.

In this episode of Untaming Masculinity, Dan and Brad talk about the concept of having a full bench and why making yourself replaceable is necessary. They share personal and professional experiences and insight on how having succession plans and fallbacks is crucial and why you must get them in place. They also discuss ways to think outside the box if you feel you may not have a full bench and why taking calculated risks can pay huge dividends.

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