{"id":95,"date":"2014-02-18T15:01:58","date_gmt":"2014-02-18T19:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/?p=95"},"modified":"2014-02-21T18:16:16","modified_gmt":"2014-02-21T22:16:16","slug":"lessons-from-spring-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/lessons-from-spring-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Lessons From Spring Training"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><\/strong>Baseball&#8217;s spring training officially started this past weekend. On the fields, temperatures in Arizona and Florida were in the 70s and 80s, a pleasant thought for many of us still buried in mounds of snow!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As baseball rings in its new year, we are reminded that much of what will be worked on during the 6 weeks of spring training is very similar to what businesses need to work on in order to be successful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">With 162 games to be played, baseball like business must run for the long-term with some months only seeing 1 or 2 days off. The team has to be at its best, polishing up on a variety of plays early and often. This way when the need arises, response to plays can be recalled from memory, an automatic reflex.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are now closing in on the completion of the first 2 months of 2014. As you and your team prepare to win your own World Series, assess how you and your group measure up in several critical categories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Leadership &amp; Management<\/strong><br \/>\nChampion athletes and all-star leaders set realistic goals and the<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">y commit to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A clear plan of action exists.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The strategy is well communicated to all players.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Implementation and execution <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">of the strategy are well understood.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The team understands the differentiators that set the organization apart.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Strong and passionate leadership is demonstrated.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Leadership stays on message.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The team is able to remain focused.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Management knows how to motivate players.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Lead by example.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Listen, observe, and recalibrate as needed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Keep a keen eye on the ball.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Promote collaboration in the clubhouse.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Metrics and statistics are reviewed with the team.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Take Action:<br \/>\nOne goal for your own spring training might be to focus on improving a few metrics where the firm is not presently excelling. Create a plan to rectify.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As a manager you are responsible to:<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Know Your Players\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ensure each player understands the strategy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Each player is clear on how they can directly impact a win.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Individual &amp; team assessments are performed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Strengths and weaknesses are understood.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Investment of time to fine-tune the skills of individual players may be of value.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Talents of each player are fully utilized.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Team communication is valued. For example:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The IT department is well aware of a potential new sales offering before it happens as it may impact system updates;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Company payment terms will be changing; the business development team is part of the early discussions and implementation process.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Cross-train when and where appropriate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Review your roster:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Due to new technology or structural changes, there may be several valued long-term employees struggling. Can they be moved into a different job function making it a win-win for the company and the talent?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Consider investing in your top performers by providing special skills training to help move the company towards achieving its strategy. Don&#8217;t lose players because you haven&#8217;t considered alternative job functions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You may have employees proficient with social media. If you are rolling out a strategy for such, might they be able to shift responsibilities. It could prove beneficial to invest time in further upgrading their skills and acknowledging their interests.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ensure your bench is deep. It&#8217;s a long season, be prepared for the unforeseen bumps in the road.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Know Your<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Opposition<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Respect your opponents. Know your competition. If competition throws you a curve ball as a regular practice make sure your team can hit a curve ball.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Be nimble enough to respond quickly to changing tactics.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Be ahead of the curve, understand coming trends.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Practice and Review the Basics<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/>\nIn sports, speaking in terms of offense and defense is common practice. The same holds true for business.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Offensively:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ensure business development is ongoing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The client list is a well-balanced.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Consider greater industry diversification.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ensure everyone on the team has a basic understanding of product knowledge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An excellent customer experience is top of mind.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Company atmosphere is friendly and welcoming.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Dress code is appropriate for your business.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Defensively:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The team is comfortable addressing objections.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They can maneuver with flexibility as needed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Practicing for new and unexpected events is customary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Know how to properly handle client issues is commonplace.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In general, fine-tune plays. Review potential plays, practice and re-practice so that when unexpected events happen appropriate reactions are second nature. A strong team anticipates what might happen during the season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Star athletes are obsessed with perfecting their skills. They are totally prepared for the game. Hitting, throwing, and catching are basics in baseball. Identify the basics in your business and ensure they are dealt with as a regular and automatic part of business practices. Ensure your group is working as a team, all pushing towards the same goal . . . to win the game.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Please share your wisdom and insight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Good luck as you continue to Play Ball!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Baseball&#8217;s spring training officially started this past weekend. On the fields, temperatures in Arizona and Florida were in the 70s and 80s, a pleasant thought for many of us still buried in mounds of snow! As baseball rings in its &hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/lessons-from-spring-training\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":111,"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95\/revisions\/111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carlaperrotta.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}