Is anyone else still in shock? Not just in the ridiculous moment when Andy Dalton connected with Tyler Boyd on an already mythical play that put the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs for the first time since 1999, but also in the totality of the season. The only thing more unbelievable than that play is the notion that this team—this year—was even in that position on New Year’s Eve.
How did the Bills turn another rebuilding year into 9-7 and their first playoff birth since 1999? A decisive, Sean McDermott-led culture change at One Bills Drive was a key contributor.
Many organizations talk about a positive work culture. Not all of them walk the walk. The NFL is no different. In an industry with 5-10 coaching changes every season, there are an equal number of new leadership regimes tasked with making change. McDermott successfully changed the way the Bills approached their business day to day to create a “winning culture.” The result was a euphoric New Year’s Eve for the #BillsMafia, who could celebrate something they’d been waiting a long time for. A “winning culture” can mean a lot of things for different teams (and companies); here are just four observations of what that meant for the Bills in 2017.
Accountability
In McDermott’s first press conference as a Bill, he took ownership of the franchise’s 17-year playoff drought. Past coaches deflected questions about the drought because it wasn’t theirs. Not Sean. He acknowledged on Day 1 that the weight had shifted to his shoulders and those of his staff. We saw accountability translate to the field, where the Bills went from ninth-most penalized in 2016 down to 23rd in 2017.
Buy-in, starting at the top
We watched Kyle Williams break down the team after a game. We saw Tyrod Taylor hold his head high after a QB change in Week 11. We heard Tre White critique his own play after a win. The Bills bought into their new collective vision 100%. Starting with McDermott, team leaders of all types set an example for how things were going to be done. When members of any organization see their leadership exemplifying their values, it helps everyone buy in all the way, whether you’re in the front office or equipment staff.
Clear values
What are your organization’s core values? It’s something everyone in the building should be able to answer. McDermott had One Bills Drive and Bills Mafia everywhere “trusting the process.” As an NFL team, that meant approaching the season one week at a time, learning from the previous game and preparing diligently for the next. Not getting too high, and never getting too low. This expectation was made crystal clear at One Bills Drive back in August.
Sticking to it
Sometimes prioritizing culture means making sacrifices. They aren’t usually easy … and hardly popular. To achieve top-to-bottom buy-in, the Bills front office made some tough personnel decisions in 2017. While from the outside some said they were “tanking” for a top draft pick in 2018, the staff reasoned that releasing players, however talented, who weren’t a good culture fit would strengthen their team rather than weaken it. The gamble has paid off so far, and we’ll see what Marcel Darius has to say next weekend in Jacksonville.
That “this season is different” feeling was intentional. It took effort, persistence and strong leadership to change the vibe at One Bills Drive. Organizational culture is something you can feel, but does it lead to tangible results you can see? Just ask Buffalo Bills fans who are celebrating the end of the longest formerly active playoff drought in professional sports.
And #GoBills!
Tyler Chauncey is an account executive at Dixon Schwabl, avid Bills fan and culture advocate. Contact him at tyler_chauncey@dixonschwabl.com.