Practice your two-minute drill.

It is late in the fourth quarter, with only two minutes left to play. Your team is behind by just a few points. You just regained possession of the ball at mid-field. What can you do to score the winning touchdown? Great quarterbacks know exactly what needs to be done in these critical final moments of the game to be victorious, and they do it.

Football teams train constantly for this very scenario, developing two-minute practice drills that involve a variety of “hurry up” offensive strategies designed to move forward against the defense in the most efficient way possible. They practice a planned series of plays and can run without a huddle in order to save time and try to catch the other team off-guard. It is often a two-minute technique that wins the game.

Most organizations find themselves in occasional situations that require a quick response and only limited time to plan the next move. This is when it is especially important to have everyone understand what his or her role will be; if there is a safety emergency or a surprise visit by the head of the corporation, they’ll be prepared. Consider having your team at work develop and practice two-minute drills so the organization will work like a well-oiled machine when things become a bit chaotic.

Leadership Questions

  What kind of work situation might call for development of a two-minute drill?

  How would you plan and develop this twominute drill?