NSNO, Kaizen & Quo Vadis

Maybe the title is confusing or enticing… or maybe you have no idea what this is about – one way or the other, I will explain.

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

I have always had a problem with the NSNO ideology. Maybe even 'ideology' is the wrong word; maybe it’s a way of life or the blue blood that should be running through our veins, or maybe it’s something related to our proud history, but something which a few others struggle with for some time now. I certainly do. And this was made even more obvious to me by Lyndon‘s interview I recently read on ToffeeWeb with Elizabeth France – a person who, for me, shows a great understanding of what NSNO really means... never be content with mediocrity, always strive for the best.

But I, for my part, have had my problems with this for some time. Having followed the Blues since the mid-80s, there was always an aftertaste of former success in my Everton mouth. Of course, just as I got going with following Everton, we – along with all other English teams – were banned from Europe and have never recovered. The thing is, I have 3 brothers who are all Liverpool fans – at the time I chose to follow Everton, everyone else was either a Man Utd or Liverpool fan in my native Cork.

Even though the European ban and demise of the team after that was a hard pill to swallow, there was still a pride in being different, in being Blue and in our history. And, of course, despite the banter and the smart comments from my kopite brothers, I stuck to the task of supporting the cause. I was infected by the likes of Southall, Reid, Sheedy, Ratcliffe, Stevens, Lineker and later Ferguson, Watson, Unsworth and Co.

Maybe apart from Lineker, all were true Blues who would run themselves into the ground and risk cards, broken limbs, and fame for the sake of the team. In later years, I would definitely add Tim Cahill and Captain Coleman to that list. My point is, they knew and understood the meaning of NSNO. And for that, I loved them and everything about them. No airs and graces, just hard work, day-in & day-out, to add to the pre-existing talent.But the bittersweet taste of success in the '80s meant that this was the benchmark.

I was also a sportsman and captain and knew there could only be one winner; one captain to lift the trophy at the end of the season, even if there were 20 teams. And what happens if everyone were to have that same ambition, those same expectations and aspirations? Their sayings, crests and expectations won’t matter as 19 of them will go home empty-handed. So, does this mean that we are doomed to be miserable? Apart from Celtic, maybe, and a couple of other teams arcross Europe who are perennial league winners, the rest were just hoping for the best. So if NSNO was to condemm me to being miserable, then I have to live with that? For the last 34 or so years?

Football, of course, as an Evertonian, is digestable if things are okay at home and at work, if the health is okay and the sun is shining. But if one of those other factors – or, God forbid, a few of them – are in trouble, then football takes on an extra burden of importance... an expectation to fill that gap, to give hope and, if we’re lucky, even a bit of enjoyment. But, of course, it rarely does; instead, taking us on a roller-coaster of emotions and sometimes even deeper into the depths of despair. So, what use then is having a motto like NSNO?

Kaizen

After World War II, Japan was a mess. The country was occupied by the United States, who helped to regenerate the struggling economy by bringing in top-class business people. Over the ensuing years, the Japanese economy gained in strength and many Japenese companies became household names in the Western world (Sony, Sanyo, Honda, Toyota). One of the ideas that was introduced to the production floors was named PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act). Later, other improvement or "Kaizen" methodologies were introduced, such as Lean, Kanban, Shingo and so on.

What has this got to do with Everton? Just bear with me for a minute… These methodologies have a lot to do with organisations who have been successful. Toyota introduced many of these to their production (TPS) and design and have become famous for their methods in making them the biggest car manufacturer in the world. The principles are often the same (regardless of the method): employ people with the right mentality, train others to understand the goals and to embody them in everything they do, perfect the way you work as it has an impact on others and on the success of the whole project, be a team player, take responsibility and ownership, and learn continuously (defend free-kicks and corners anyone?).

Quo Vadis?

Now you see where I am going? Well, to be honest, I can’t see where Everton FC are going, or have been going for some time. At least on the pitch, it seems just like the passes around the back and midfield we are going sideways and backwards and struggle to move forward. No-one to take responsibility. Are we too afraid to make mistakes? Are we fans too harsh on those taking chances which may not come off? Do we only promote people to captain after being at the club for 5 years plus? Or can we maybe challenge everyone to take responsibility and ownership of the task in hand? Can the blue blood and NSNO mentality be instilled in each individual and hence exist as the winning mentality to propel the team onwards?

Are we looking across the whole club from the groundsman, tea lady and kit man, to each and every one involved with the club, including directors, fans and youth systems? Have we got a mentality of learning every single day – actually getting better than the day beforehand? Or is that just the manager’s job? Have we fans become too used to not giving a damn? Or, if we do give a damn, to shout or write abuse instead of being creative and constructive with our criticism?

If there is a leak in the water pipe, will I just get some tape to cover it up or do I need to get a quality and long-lasting solution? Do we learn from our mistakes or just point our fingers away from us? Has the abundance of money made us as a club go completely crazy on incomes, on transfers, and weak in our ability to think? Why are we sticking to processes and systems which might work 10% of the time but not the other 90%? Have we no other way to play, to be adventurous and brave and agile? Where in the name of God is our resilience? What is our mentality and where are we going?

"Cristiano Ronaldo, why have you been so successful as a footballer?" Answer: "I train longer and harder than my opponents and my teammates, every day." So, even if you are talented, even if you have all the right processes and systems in place and have achieved success and greatness, there is always room for improvement and more training – in fact, it is vital. As the saying goes‚ "Get busy living or get busy dying".

Pre-Season & Relegation

Living in Germany, I can’t get to Goodison Park much, I’m afraid… but this pre-season, I did make the 6-hour trip from Munich up to Mainz for the Opel Cup mini-tournament. Of course, it turned out to be a disaster and not only did we lose both matches but, to add insult to injury, Mainz played You'll Never Walk Alone before our game.

Anyway, back to the game for a minute... in both games, I watched a very rusty team, slow off the mark, making stupid schoolboy mistakes and running around like headless chickens. Now, some might argue that pre-season is the place for that and who gives a damn? Well, Sevilla obviously did give a damn. They ran their socks off, tried lots of different combinations of players, mixed up their play on each attack and worked hard as hell for each other as if their lives depended on it. Meanwhile, Everton were strolling around as if we were a bunch of holiday-makers on the beach with nothing to play for.

Some have argued that we should be playing in better tournaments against better opposition. I don’t agree, at least not at this rate. At least in football terms, it’s not the opposition which matter but the mentality. Sevilla were better than us in every single aspect. But, most importantly, they had a fighting and winning attitude.

Which teams would invite us based on that performance? Are we to be invited to top tournaments based on our history? No. That counts for nothing in today’s mad world. Yes, we should be immensely proud of our heritage, and also very proud of the club for many initiatives, like EitC, but it’s the here-and-now which counts; results and improvement and not history, I’m afraid, and certainly not empty words and promises.

Often I have asked myself if maybe we have become too comfortable with not having being relegated? A right kick up the arse could maybe give us a sense of urgency, a feeling of failure that should never again be tasted. I don’t know… but I do know that we need to change something very quickly and a new manager will not be the answer if we do not employ a winning NSNO and Kaizen mentality of improving day by day in every single aspect of the game, the club, and its surroundings.

In an ever-changing world with high demands, we have no room for complacency and mediocrity. Get busy living or get busy dying. What is it to be Everton? A choice to remain miserable and in the shadows of darkness (you know who)… or do we make a decision to move in a winning direction?

Once we get there… well, that’s a different challenge to stay there – but it certainly also entails hard work and learning and adapting.

Are we up for it?

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