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This summer, I watched the show "Design Star" on HGTV, and in a recurring theme, they would take furnishings and "re-purpose" them. The designers would find an old piece and rework it so it would fit the style of a new space.

How does this apply to what we do as athletic administrators? I believe that by taking a closer look at the way we do things, we can re-purpose and bring greater life to existing procedures.

This can mean engaging others with the question "how can we do this better?" The answers to this question can help expand your collective horizons. It means looking at every angle and trying to pump new life into an old way of doing things.

For example, our junior high football team had been using hand-me-down step-over dummies for many years. Last week, I walked out to practice unannounced with half rounds and inserted them into a running back drill. They are lightweight, easy to move dummies that are better for the back to run over. The coach looked at me with such excitement that I was taken aback. He said, "I was watching a drill on YouTube last night, and they were using these. Wow. Awesome."

So what are some things that I plan on re-purposing for the upcoming campaign? Here are a few things that I learned over the summer that I think will help.

Be More Thoughtful

I was recently intrigued by the CBS television series "Undercover Boss" where a top executive of a company goes undercover as a new employee trainee. One episode featured the CEO of 1-800-Flowers. When asked how he was doing on the job, one employee responded to him that "you will never make it in this business." At the conclusion of the show, the "undercover boss" reveals him or herself and addresses the company.

A statement that he made upon revealing himself to the entire company was that they are in the business of doing things based on thoughtfulness. Receiving flowers is one of the most thoughtful acts that exists. The executive felt he had fallen short of this ideal and would now be more attuned to the needs of the employees as the leader of a highly successful business.

How can that translate to our position as an athletic director? Start by putting yourself in the shoes of others. I, for one, will look at the effort of others during the year, and take notice of it. Saying thank you, sending a note of appreciation, giving a small gift, and praising those around you in front of others are a few things I am committing to doing more of this year.

Pitch In
In another episode of "Undercover Boss," the president of White Castle, a fast-food restaurant chain, went into the plant and learned how to work on the packaging line. His grandfather had founded White Castle on the precept that by making your own product, you could control the quality of those items. And during his undercover visit, he learned that the assembly line could encounter backups, and soon realized these jobs were very important ones.

Yet, when the floor workers were in need of assistance, the supervisors would continue to take breaks. The notion of "I am better than that" led to low morale in that plant.

My goal is to pitch in more this year to help everyone who helps athletics put its best foot forward. If I am at a basketball game, and there is a line forming, I need to be the person who steps in and helps with ticket sales. Acting humble keeps one humble. The person who is working an event has a more important role than the one I have, and therefore I should do everything in my power to offer assistance where it is needed.

Be a Change Agent
I think we need to look at ways to do thing differently from year to year, because change is a constant in the world of work. Last week, I went on a search at our school for a piece of chalk, and there is none to be found! What is with that? A school without chalk?

Before the start of each school year, for the last 18 years, we had a pre-season coaches meeting where the coaches sit in the classroom chairs, and get talked at for about an hour. Some coaches come to the meeting religiously, and some find a way not to come at all. Others have reasons they cannot be there ranging from being on vacation, to not being able to find a sitter for their children.

This summer we decided to change things up and prior to the fall sports season we initiated an online coaches' course entitled "Pre-season Coaches Meeting." Coaches enrolled in the course on their home computer and cover the material at their own pace. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we have re-purposed something boring into something they now look forward to doing. We had 100 percent attendance, and created something that is popular with our coaches.

Earn Your Wings Everyday
The story of Southwest Airlines is a fascinating one. The airline was born out of a struggle with established carriers in Texas. They survived lawsuit after lawsuit, and were left standing, but barely. How did a company that had to sell one of their four airplanes to keep operating survive?

It turns out they too re-purposed their resources. For example, management decided on a 10 minute turn around from the time a plane landed to the time it took off again. They did a four-plane schedule with just three planes. To accomplish this, everyone had to pitch in--including pilots and flight crew walking through the airplane cabins to clean up after a flight.

They did not have a mentality of "that is not my job," and established the best on time record in the industry. They never asked why it could not be done. What they did know was that the survival of Southwest was related to their job performance.

They emerged from their setbacks and tough times with a unique esprit de corps. Even today, they are motivated by a shared sense of determination, based on a willingness to have a unique approach that stands out in their industry.

Athletic directors can also be the driving force toward creating a unique working environment for their employees. Keeping morale high is essential to peak performance. I might say to our office assistant an hour before she is scheduled to end her day, "you have done two days of work in less than one day. Go home right now." Tomorrow she will come back refreshed, and be equally productive. Not exactly a 10 minute turnaround, but it has its roots in that notion.

Practice Re-Purpose
I think that the realm of athletics allows us to take liberties to find new approaches. Our coaches are highly motivated to do their job to the best of their ability and have learned to adapt to their talent level from year to year. The same is true of athletic directors, who may have a large turnover of coaches in a short period of time. They have to fill those positions with the best possible candidates so that they are not selling the student-athlete experience short.

Working in athletics is not a hard sell to those who love sports. We have the ability to build teams and camaraderie among those who staff events, facilitate events, and work in the athletic office. Teamwork is at the very core of athletics--at all levels. Hearing the words "wow" and "awesome" from our junior high football coach provides me with great inspiration for the upcoming year. It also reinforces the notion that re-purposing has great benefit for those willing to take a different approach.

Dan Cardone is Athletic Director at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. He is a frequent contributor to Athletic Management.