A Change Management Case Study: the '23 Northwestern Wildcats Football Team

The period between Christmas and the New Year has always been my time for reflection and expressing gratitude.? From celebrating successes to recapping situations that have helped me grow, there is no better time than now to prioritize the future results I want to see. This year I started my preliminary process early Christmas Eve morning on my return flight from the Las Vegas Bowl after the Northwestern Wildcats football team capped off a remarkable season, stamped by the program’s 5th bowl win in a row.? As I reflected on growth mindset, I quickly saw the parallels between the 2023 Wildcats and my own experiences personally and professionally. In this article I will share my turbulent, emotional journey supporting a team that delivered against the odds while demonstrating a case study on effective Change Management. ?Here are some of the key themes and lessons:

1.??? Chaos ensues: In early July, three weeks before the start of training camp, widespread hazing allegations within the football program led to the swift and surprising dismissal of long-time NU Head Coach, Pat Fitzgerald. As a former player, board member for TrueNU.org, and supporter of Northwestern Athletics, I would be lying to you if I told you I didn’t lose sleep over this news. ?It became the black eye that never went away (and is still tender as I write this) and served as a constant reminder of how rapidly things can change. There will be times when you switch jobs or life just comes at you fast. How will you respond?

2.??? Pick a side: Whenever a monumental and unexpected change happens, there is an indefinite period where the noise is amplified. Those that hear the noise usually are compelled to determine where their loyalty lies and reinforce that with specific actions. For the football program, the decision to name David Braun as the interim (and rookie) head coach was initially overshadowed by a slow news media cycle that targeted lawsuits from former student-athletes against the school and the court of public opinion delivering its spirited verdicts on social media. Imagine your company just did a reorganization and you have been laid off. After you get done processing this massive change, who do you choose to listen to?

3.??? Loud action, simple story: When the 2023 Big Ten Media Day arrived, the football program decided not to have player representatives attend the prestigious season kickoff event.? Northwestern would have Coach Braun face the nation, providing an update on the state of the program. While he didn’t specifically address the scandal that led him to his new role, he clearly articulated the importance of the team sticking together.? In addition, he highlighted why he was excited about this opportunity as it would allow him to positively impact young men and the surrounding community. His simple gesture of being direct, humble, and sincere cut through the tension and served as the first positive commentary I read about Northwestern or its football program in the previous three weeks. Have you ever started and completed an intense workout regimen for 90 days, coupled that with a healthy diet? Those loud actions daily likely led to the simple story of enhanced health and losing weight.

4.??? Intentionality isn’t enough: After losing a few players and recruits to the transfer portal before the first game, the intention of being united as team was forged on the other side of hard, where resistance and ridicule live.? How did a team that came into the season projected to win less than 3 games manage to go 8-5, winning their last four in a row? The mindset and commitment to winning did not encompass a rewind button, only an emphasis on being better as a unit on the next play, next quarter, and next game.? To that end, the leading metric for reaffirming intentionality is momentum which can measured by persistent performance. Every year around this time, people have the intention of accomplishing SMART personal and profession goals. Does it surprise you to know that research suggests that only about 30% of people who set goals will succeed? What about how long before most people throw in the towel?

5.??? Trust Yourself: If you ever watch the Northwestern Wildcats take the field or return to the locker room, you’ll notice a sign in black and white that reads, “Trust Yourself.” Let’s do a deeper dive on this concept in the framework of change management: the “Trust Yourself” theme is not a rule only for when things are going your way or when you have a veteran leader. It’s a simple phrase that asks for introspection and emphasizes the “ME” in team. Focusing specifically on the last part of the phrase: “Yourself” diminishes the value of things outside of individual control and allows everyone to write their own narrative in real time. Collectively, those individual narratives become the story that defines the identity of the team. In the digital age, finding information is only one google search away. The issue with this statement is the key word I didn’t share and that’s “credible” information. In a world where everyone’s opinion makes up a data point, what and who matters?

6.??? By the numbers: In 2021 Northwestern finished 3-9 and followed that up with a 1-11 season in 2022.? Coming into the 2023 season, the program had the nation’s 45TH rated recruiting class and was projected by most college football experts to win 2 games.? Based on the downward trajectory even prior to the coaching change, there was limited optimism in Evanston for the Wildcats.? What happened to cause an 8-5 turnaround so dramatic that it led me to writing this reflection in the first place? Coach Braun, fresh off being recognition as the Big Ten Coach of the Year, emerges as the obvious answer and posterchild of change. Highlighted by a remarkable shift defensively, the Wildcats finished the season third-best in the nation with a turnover margin of +13. To qualify his improvement, the 2022 season saw the Wildcats finish -19 in terms of turnover margin (or last in the nation) which is a +32 swing. Imagine you are your favorite comedian for a second: you’ve performed your catalog of jokes at open mic nights across the country having perfected your pace, delivery, and even mastered the art of silencing hecklers. How do the hours of refinement and editing prepare you for your new hour-long Netflix special? What about if you are an entrepreneur delivering a presentation for the investor community- would you just wing it? Measure twice (or significantly more times than that). Cut once.

Whether you are an individual contributor, in executive leadership, or considering a career shift, the bolded themes above apply to your process for navigating change (and feel free to substitute your own examples into the italicized text). This framework is also valuable for your personal journey of aggressive goal setting and overachieving in business and life. ?Coach Braun furthers these ideas as we witness how his infectious attitude facilitated a winning culture by first establishing order in the locker room. Aside from recruiting top talent, the two lessons which shouldn’t be lost for success on the football field or in business: (1) protecting the mindshare of your team and (2) taking the ball (or revenue) away from the opposition. What key change management stories have you witnessed or experienced? What will be your major breakthrough in 2024?