Oakland Raiders Keep Moving and Believing In Commitment To Excellence

The Oakland Raiders have a powerful motto: Commitment to Excellence . To make this concept operational, it may be necessary to remind the readers of at least three levels of excellence: organizational, team, and individual.

Historically speaking, there have been eras in the history of the Oakland Raiders that demonstrated a high degree of fidelity between the motto and the performance in the AFC and overall in the NFL.

No one will deny that the Oakland Raiders need to re-commit to excellence at all levels. Simply stated, there must be a return to organizational excellence, team excellence, and individual excellence.

Is it asking too much to want every level of the Oakland Raiders franchise to re-commit? I think not. It is a reasonable request and expectation after seven years of famine when it comes to winning the AFC championship and a Super Bowl.

Here are quotes and excerpts that will inspire all of us to re-think how we do what we do, why we do what we do, and what level of excellence we expect once we do what we do.

I believe that Al Davis is committed to excellence. He has maintained the motto for many years. Now is the time for the coaches and roster of players to do introspection to determine what needs to change in order to have more accuracy and fidelity in their commitment to the Oakland Raiders motto.

Four things are important in this discussion. Consider these excerpts as definitions :

1. Organizational Excellence is the most challenging of the three aspects of excellence because of the consistent level of commitment, cooperation, and alignment required of so many people. A shared vision provides the focus that is required to "make it happen". Without vision, (both in a literal and figurative sense), individuals and organizations do not have the ability to focus on what's important. No Vision—No Focus!

2. Team Excellence is an absolute prerequisite to organizational excellence, since most work is accomplished by teams. Each team needs to have its own vision that reflects its particular mission and its unique character. Of course, it's important that the team vision also support the organizational vision and aligns with other related teams.

Understanding the value and importance of both cooperation and interdependent work relationships should be the goal within teams and between teams throughout the organization. One challenging aspect of teams and teamwork is the establishment and implementation of a "team-based problem identification and problem solving methodology" as the norm within teams and the organization.

3. Individual Excellence in support of team and organizational goals should be nurtured, recognized and rewarded. At the same time, the pursuit of individual excellence without regard for its impact on team performance and other parts of the system should be discouraged.

This is one of the tradeoffs we make when we join an organization. We give up some of our freedom to do exactly what we wish, and we agree to cooperate with others in the pursuit of shared goals. This does not rule out the pursuit of individual excellence, it does mean we must define individual excellence in the context of team and organizational performance.

"Most people want to excel as individuals and as members of a team. When desired outcomes are clearly defined under the umbrella of an organizational vision, it's possible to achieve a synergistic effect from the pursuit of all three aspects of excellence."

4. "A compelling organizational vision often attracts people to its pursuit because it's challenging and it's important. It touches the hunger for meaning that resides in all of us. It energizes and motivates those who choose it at a deep level. It serves as a guide and pathway for decisions and actions in the face of an unknowable future. It also provides the emotional inspiration that keeps people engaged in their pursuits, even when the going gets tough, as it inevitably does in significant undertakings." 

To continue this discussion, I believe that diversity is present in the Oakland Raiders team. Therefore, the word "excellence" means different things to different players. What's more, no matter what the meaning of the word "excellence", there certainly is a "core meaning" that many people embrace.

To determine excellence, there must be a criteria established to measure what is or is not excellent. When Al Davis says, "Just Win Baby," his criteria for excellence is "to win."

In that case, when the team does not win, then the team is not excellent. So in 2009, Al Davis was only able to declare that the Oakland Raiders had excellent performance five times. Overall, the criteria for excellence in the AFC would mean that the Oakland Raiders will win in 2010. The criteria for excellence in the NFL would then be to win the Super Bowl.

In conclusion, there is a high expectation for the Oakland Raiders in 2010. A change was made in "who and how" the new players were selected. A change has been made by adding more coaches to the staff. A change has been made in almost every aspect of the team.

Those changes inspire us to believe that the Oakland Raiders are going to keep moving and to keep believing in the motto given to all of us by Al Davis: Commitment to Excellence.

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