How Business is like Baseball

It’s April and that means that Major League Baseball is once again in action, a spectator sport I enjoy like none other. I was watching a game on TV the other night when it occurred to me that there are some relevant parallels between baseball and business – and I’m not talking about the fat contracts being inked these days by the all star players (like the $154 million seven-year contract Adrian Gonzalez signed today with the Red Sox).

            Years ago, a sportswriter whose name escapes me characterized baseball as a game of “suddenness: suddenly, anything can happen.” But what a range of possible happenings the game presents. While it’s a game of subtleties, if you know baseball well and know what to watch for, you generally have a pretty good idea of what might happen next. Even then, the range of possibilities is virtually numberless. But at least you know in general what to expect.

            It’s all there in front of you and it’s only a matter of being familiar enough with the nuances of the game and the two particular teams on the field to be able to assess the situation and make a fair prediction about what might or should happen next.

            The circumstances at any given point in the game and their variations are infinite. The most skillful ballplayers and fans know how each particular set of circumstances should be played, both offensively and defensively: whether the infielders and/or outfielders should play shallow or deep; what kind of pitch the catcher should call for; whether the batter should swing for the fences, bunt, or “take” the next pitch (not swing); whether the runner on first base should take a short lead to keep the pitcher honest, or attempt to steal second. And on and on it goes.

            The same holds true with business. There are an infinite number of possibilities for each given situation. But unlike the game of baseball played on a finite field that’s completely in view, you can’t always readily perceive all the variables that can come into play in a given business situation.

            For instance, in a weak and uncertain economy such as the one we’re experiencing now, should your company invest in new plants, equipment and people, or hoard your cash in a protective crouch? It depends on a number of factors, not the least of which is your company’s position in its industry versus your competitors; the strength of your new product development pipeline; the relative strength or weakness of the markets and customers to whom you sell your products/services; and your cash flow and cash reserve, to name just a handful.

            That’s why it’s imperative for all people, no matter their position or level of responsibility within your organization, to be fully cognizant at all times of all that impacts the business. That includes the dynamics both inside and, especially, outside the company. Think of the business arena as a ball field, with a lot of different players, each with a different role and capabilities.

            The trouble is business is not as simple as a baseball game with just two competitors on the field. It’s more like a free-for-all paintball tournament without teams. It’s you against everyone else. While you take aim at one player in front of you, you’ve failed to notice the opponent hiding behind an adjacent tree about to fire a pellet at your backside and take you out of the game.

            That’s why effective internal communications are so important in helping a business achieve success, repeatedly and well into the future. A smoothly operating communications function is a company’s best means of assuring that its people stay well informed about the evolving paradigm in which the company operates, such as new competitive threats, evolving governmental regulations and increased corporate taxes, or the hurricane that’s bearing down on your manufacturing plant on Florida’s panhandle.

            At the same time, communications must provide the means by which those same people can communicate up and down and across the organization to share insights and ideas, while seeking answers to their unique challenges.

            In short, the communications function and the people who manage it must operate as though they were the play-by-play announcer sitting in the broadcast booth high above home plate. He brings to bear his wisdom from years of playing and watching the game, combined with his eye for the action and the added advantage of having the best seat in the house.

            Even still, it’s an imperfect analogy because it’s more than that. It’s as though while you’re calling the game, you’re also facilitating the means by which the fans tuned into your broadcast can ask questions about a particular play, or offer an insight about the game. In short, it’s a tough assignment, but an important one.

Establish Trust in the First Days on the Job

As managers new to our jobs, we have one chance to connect with our team, to establish a level of trust and cooperation that will likely spell the difference between long-term success and near-term failure in that new position. Old-fashioned face-to-face communication is the key, especially the listening component.

            In their first days on the job, many new managers focus almost exclusively on their new boss and the expectations that come with the job. Naturally, we want to please the person who has the power to promote us—or fire us. But neglecting the people who report to us can have a long-term impact from which no boss, no matter how much he/she may like you and your work, can save you.

            A friend of mine is on the receiving end of a disconnected manager like this. He had been at his job for a couple years when his boss left for a new opportunity and a new senior manager came aboard to take over. Not once did this new guy, “John,” bother to interview his new direct reports. He never showed any curiosity about them, nor did he ask them about their interests, their desires, their backgrounds or experience. Frankly, John never seemed to think of or treat them as individuals with unique skills.

            On the other hand, as the months and years passed, John seemed always to focus on the new people that he recruited. As time has gone on, he’s shown himself to be closer to them, going out of his way to compliment their work, amidst his silence toward the people on his team who are more senior than he. My friend says that to this day, some five years later, he still doesn’t trust John, nor does he believe much of what he says. He cautiously weighs whatever John tells him, and privately second-guesses nearly every directive from him. Can’t say I blame him. Would you care to work for someone like John?

            With that in mind, here are a few ideas for what we need to address in our first days on a new job if we want to avoid being like John, to ensure long-term employment, as well making valuable contributions to the organization and its success.

            Yes, of course we should connect with our new manager to delineate the job parameters, performance metrics and his/her expectations of us. If appropriate, we should also meet with other managers with whom we will be working, or to whom we may have dotted line reporting relationships, to get an understanding of their expectations and how they operate.

            We must also get a clear understanding of the organization’s mission, vision and values, and specifically our unit’s and/or division’s role in that regard. What are the key drivers of success? How is success measured? What are the chief challenges and opportunities facing the company and our unit? Are there any near- or long-term strategies and initiatives that we need to be aware of? What’s the competitive environment? What challenges are our customers facing?

            Concurrently with this early investigation, we must also begin connecting individually with our direct reports. As soon as we get settled into our new office space, if not sooner, we should be setting up appointments to spend some meaningful face-to-face time with these people.

            By “meaningful,” I don’t mean make small talk with them. Allow enough time to find out more about them personally and professionally, listening and learning by asking questions like these: 

• What are their backgrounds (educational, employment, etc.)?
• How long have they been employed there?
• What attracted them to the company in the first place?
• If they are fairly new hires have their initial expectations been met?
• If they are long-time employees, how has the company evolved for the better and/or worse during their tenure?
• What are their roles?
• What current issues are they facing?
• What are challenges and opportunities facing the unit itself and how do they think it would be best to approach them?
• What are their expectations of us, their new manager?
• What kind of support and resources can we help provide them to make them more effective in their jobs?
• What are their personal and professional goals?
• Do they see an obvious track for their future inside the company and how has the company supported those goals?
• Have they gotten the training and support they felt they've needed? If not, why not? 

Without asking directly, try to sense any frustrations they might be feeling on the job, such as whether they have felt stifled in any way or made to feel that they’ve gone as far they can in the organization. Also, without asking directly, try to discern whether any personal issues might interfere with their work and, if so, how the company has or has not helped, and how we as their manager can help.

            We shouldn’t expect to come away from all these interviews with answers to all these questions, or a complete picture of all our direct reports. Some people are naturally reticent to open up to a new manager. That’s okay. What counts is the spirit of the effort, the demonstration of showing we care. Just showing our interest in such matters goes a long way in the process of building trust, the kind of trust we will need to be effective in our job as a manager and team leader. We have opened the door for future conversations.

            The important thing at this time is to ask the questions, to demonstrate our interest in them as human beings, as individual contributors. We will get to know them better once we’ve begun working with them on a day-to-day basis. And we will soon find out who our most valuable team members are. That early demonstration of trust will help assure that we are all on the same team, working toward common goals.