Free Advice

As I write this, the Seattle Mariners have just finished the first half of the 2001 baseball season with one of the best half-way records in the history of baseball, about 40 games over .500. As those of you in the Seattle area know, they’ve excited what used to be called a “not-a-baseball” town. Everywhere you go there’s some talk about the Mariners.

This from a team not even picked to finish first in their division, much less be 20 games ahead of the pack. Four months into the season, there are still articles about how surprising this is because the team lost three superstars over the last three years.

The benefits of teamwork

Their success does leave some clues. Clues that transcend baseball to business (and life). First, they have incredible teamwork. They perform well together, they appear to be “in sync” and their attitude (at least to the public, through the press) is team first, individual statistics first. Quite a difference from the typical professional sports team.

Compare this to basketball where attendance and ratings are down and critics state it’s become a game of individuals showing off for the highlight videos. Compare this to your business. Do people work together or do they simply care about themselves? Does the compensation plan encourage teamwork or individual gain? The Mariners, and many businesses, prove the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts. The Yankees have proved this by winning four of the last five World Series’ and haven’t had a starting member on the All-Star team in years.

Be a leader

Second, the Mariners have a true leader. Their manager, Lou Pinella, is forceful, fair and described as a “players manager.” However, you don’t want to cross him. Players who do that find out he is definitely in charge. Managing people is not easy. Every bookstore and library has shelves filled with books on management.

I’m not going to get into any management techniques, I’m only going to suggest you look at your style and what’s happening in your company. Employees of large corporations may have the option to transfer departments or be promoted. They can live with a bad manager for a while because they can see the light. Employees of small businesses don’t have that option. They need to find a new job. Look at your company and determine if you add to the stress level or reduce it. Do you have more turnover than normal? The answer may be leadership and/or lack of teamwork.

Do the little things

Most important, the Mariners excel at doing the little things. They don’t hit home runs like they did in years past but they win more games. They sacrifice, steal bases and advance runners. Not as sexy as a 500 foot blast but just as effective. Is your company (are you) doing the little things? It sometimes is a pain to get this newsletter out, but I get it out the middle of every month. The answer is usually in the details. Long-term success means doing those things others don’t do.

Finally, baseball teams do well with pitching and defense. Your pitching and defense is sales and customer retention. Your offense is operations. When these are in harmony, you can make things happen and change course to satisfy customers. Harmony allows you to sacrifice a little for the big hit.

© Copyright John Martinka 2001. All rights reserved.