The Dugout and the Workplace

The unofficial end to summer will occur essentially where it began - near a youth baseball diamond.  This week's baseball tournament is in Cooperstown, NY, so there will be no complaints in this post.

Between two kids there have been four teams and nearly one hundred games to watch, some times as a coach, most often as a parent in the stands.  There were many a quick change on the fly to balance work, coaching or parent responsibilities.  While the work and youth baseball appeared to be worlds apart, upon further reflection they weren't so different.   

At the risk of invoking the "Baseball is life" cliche, here are a few ways the worlds of the youth baseball dugout are very similar to the workplace:

-  Tone matters.  Like a ship or any other workplace, you can just tell a lot about a team right away by the tone set in the dugout.  Leaders and coaches set it, and the players have to buy it.  A sour tone, or players who aren't buying what the coach is selling spell disaster for the team.  

-  Work ethic trumps talent.  The player who comes to practice, builds skills and supports the team is going to win the race in the long run over the teammate who doesn't practice his craft and just shows up for the game.  

-  The reaction to the strike out is more important than the reaction to the home run.  Watch the body language.  We all fail in some way every day.  It's not that we fail; it's how we react to that failure which matters most.  Blaming teammates, umpires, the sun or the coach does not bode well down the road and needs to be addressed quickly.  One negative reaction can take a team down.

-  Some teammates just aren't a fit.  There's a harmony to every good team.  You know it when you see it.  Some teammates don't fit, despite having tremendous talent and potential.  Coaches try, teammates try, but it doesn't work.  It's painful to watch.  In youth baseball you have to ride out the season and minimize that player's negative impact on the team.  In the workplace when you see it as   a leader it's time to take action.    
-  The work precedes the success.  Make the work meaningful.  The harder most youth teams work the luckier they get.  You can be dedicated, work harder than any team, and have fun.  Good coaches take time to let their players know the improvement they see in them.  At the end of a long practice have a fun scrimmage.  The work is the journey, and is of more value than the trophy.   

There are many positive lessons to be gained in a youth dugout, and while the kids may be too young to know or care, good coaches are preparing their players for success in the workplace.  

The two worlds are not that far apart.