Opinion: Business lessons from the baseball diamond

Baseball is upon us and the Springfield Cardinals will start their 16th season at Hammons Field on May 4.

I find sports offer a useful connection to what it means, and what we need to do, to be successful. Baseball is a business, a billion-dollar business, so it can help us to see how the work on the diamond and in the dugout echoes in our desire to improve in business. Consider these nine (a number that shows up a lot in baseball) parallels from baseball as applied to the game of business.

1. It's all about the team. Individual efforts are important, but only as they add to the success of the larger group. Being the best in your workgroup, team, department or division should come second after the success of the enterprise. If you are a business founder, owner, partner or significant stakeholder, what you do should support the team under you. If you're an employee, what you do should support the leadership team above you.

2. Trying hard matters. It's fun to watch Minor League Baseball because the players play hard on every pitch, during every at-bat and with every ground ball hit to the shortstop. They know they can't coast for even one game, because they could find themselves demoted and sent to a lower-level team, benched or cut. They don't always succeed, but's not for lack of effort. Effort in business is measured in small and large ways, beyond just financially, by what the business leaders see as they evaluate the work done by their employees.

3. If you want to promote to the next level, stand out in your position. Moving from the Rookie League, to Class A, Double-A, Triple-A and then up to the Major Leagues takes effort, better-than-average statistics and some luck. Every athlete who plays professionally is good; the ones who promote are great. Most managers and supervisors know who their best contributors are; they're the ones they leave in charge when they go on vacation or to an out-of-town meeting. The traits in business to "be better" – showing up on time, doing the work you are assigned and meeting deadlines – are recognizable.

4. Statistics make a difference, especially at the end of the year. Numbers count in business and baseball. Sales revenue, acquiring new big-ticket clients and customers, cutting operating costs, selling more products at higher prices and hiring more people are all measured, all the time. Scorekeeping – financially, by projects, and in ways that are visible to all employees – exists to know who is winning the game of business.

5. Errors can hurt. Mistakes have consequences. Missing a deadline for a proposal that the team has worked on for several months, not getting product information to a prospective client in time or not hiring a superstar who has just left your competitor prevents your success. One error can start a downward spiral that impacts morale, confidence and future success of the team.

6. Utility players and specialists can help when it counts. Not every player can play every position, and some can succeed playing three or four. The complexity of business today demands specialization. A specific salesperson, who knows how to close a certain type of client business, is invaluable. A technically trained employee, who can solve multiple software issues across several platforms, can save the day. There are lots of benefits to having a well-staffed team.

7. Good teams have good coaches. Consider that by the time a Major League Baseball player reaches the big leagues, he has been taught by dozens of coaches and veteran players. No team succeeds at the highest levels without skilled leaders who can teach the best possible best practices. Somebody has to be in charge.

8. One seemingly small event leads to a win or a loss. Timing in sports and business is everything. The best companies also seem to be perceived as "the luckiest" by outsiders, because it looks like fortune always favors them. It's less about luck and more about not making mistakes, overcoming problems, being in the right place and recognizing the interconnectivity of things.

9. Hard work and hustle never slump. A never-quit attitude serves ballplayers and businesspeople alike. Effort, aimed in the right direction, achieves the agreed-upon goals. Employees who like to complain about hard work are surpassed by those who just go out and do it.

Steve Albrecht is a Springfield-based trainer, human resources consultant and employee coach. He can be reached at drsteve@drstevealbrecht.com.