NFL TIPS ADAPTING TO BOARDROOM.

Byline: Associated Press 

While the Japanese model of business has its merits, it's time for American corporations to learn motivational techniques from one of the most popular areas of its own culture - football.

That's the opinion of those organizing a series of seminars for business managers that will feature National Football League greats Bill Walsh, John Mackey, Ronnie Lott, Jim Plunkett and others. They'll be talking about how to instill the pride, passion and discipline that makes a winning team.

In short, they plan to teach corporate managers how to literally "coach" employees on the responsibilities of being a team member.

"Society is becoming very selfish," said Lott, a former defensive back with the San Francisco 49ers. "Society is not playing as a team any more. We're losing those values."

One reason, he said, is that too many corporations have become too big and have lost the core identity employees need to draw on for motivation.

"People have passion on the football field or when they go to play baseball. That is the same kind of passion you need when you're going to work. And yet, that passion is not there if the company doesn't have a core identity," Lott said.

The "NFL Team Building Seminars," as they are called, will differ from other sports-related business programs in that they will go beyond the usual story-telling by delving into the "how-to's" of team building.

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Photo (Color) Alan Turowetz, left, and former San Francisco 49er defensive back Ronnie Lott talk about the NFL Team Building Seminars. Associated Press