Keep Swinging: A New Look at Business and Baseball

Using sports analogies in business has been around since the Great Bambino swung a bat. Watching an MLB game at my local sports bar had me thinking about how much baseball really is the same as business and life.

The batter must react to every pitch. We do that with each “pitch” Life throws at us. Some days are straight and smooth, maybe a slow curve ball, or one of THOSE days when everything is a screaming fast ball aimed at our head. We see, analyze, and make the best decisions.

Like the batter, we have a choice of actions. Anything outside our mission or goal is left alone. The umpire would call that a “ball.” Some pitches might seem bad but end up being something good. That is the strike with no swing, There’s the one that looks good, and we swing at it, but miss. Everyone strikes out occasionally. That’s when you remind yourself pro baseball players are great when they hit only three times out of every 10 times at bat.

Swing to the bleachers when you can. The home run always makes you feel good. At the same time, runs batted in are the little victories that win games.

Feeling the need to “think outside the box?” Try a bunt; something that’s new, different, or unexpected, and will move things forward when done correctly. A new service, a packaged value-add, or expanded product line could give your team that much needed oomph.

As a professional, you know the company comes first. I’ll save the spaceship analogy for another time. A servant leader knows walking into a pitch is occasionally required. Stated plainly: we take one for the team.

One obstacle remains: the other team. This would be your competitors, paying taxes, new government regulations, complainers on social media, and occasional bad luck. Keep swinging! You miss all the shots you don’t take. Don’t drop the ball. You might need a Hail Mary when things come down to the wire. Remember: the ball’s in your court because it ain’t over till it’s over.