I felt really good about our symposium at the NFL Combine in February, and I wanted to keep the momentum going. A couple of our panelists then discussed a chat loop set up among GMs in the conference, so I thought I’d give personnel staffers on a lower level a similar platform. That’s how the 2026 G5 GM Zoom series started.

Tonight was our second session. Here’s a brief overview of how the first two sessions have gone.

Tuesday: We had about 17 GMs discussing the art of having hard conversations, or, more specifically, saying no. In this business, simply disagreeing on something can mean the end of a relationship. The topic led to a pretty robust discussion. One GM said he and his staff develop a detailed scouting report — not just on-field, but also detailing tardiness, failed wiz quizzes, poor effort in the weight room — that they can cite if a player comes in saying he’s not getting what he’s worth. I was also a little surprised by the responses to some of the questions. I asked if any of them would have an interest in fundraising or other outside-the-office duties, and to my surprise, some said they’d look forward to such an opportunity. I think there’s a desire to really be authentic with potential donors. I can’t think of a better way than that.

Tonight: The topic was building and maintaining a volunteer staff, a tough job when you’re asking people to put in long hours for no pay. One GM is highly skilled at finding work-study opportunities for his staffers, which is one way to at least show some appreciation for the hours put in. Some schools are having success asking volunteers to work full-time (something we’ve discussed in this space before), but these are very special circumstances. One of the more seasoned GMs has placed around 20 former volunteers in full-time jobs in sports (not all in football, but still). Being able to show your volunteers that there’s a path to success is a great way to keep the fires burning.

Our final three Zooms will cover software service preferences (what’s good, what’s bad, what’s the best value); development and compensation of paid staff; and how to stop, or at least contain, tampering.

Many of them are on the road, so I don’t expect perfect attendance. The key is having a space for them to be able to draw on their peers’ experiences and come up with ideas for solving problems.

Anyway, it’s been fun so far, and really educational. Hopefully this is something we can extend to other strata of the industry soon. The beauty of technology means people don’t have to sit in one room to share ideas anymore. Might as well take advantage of it.