It’s April and that means that Major League Baseball is once again in action, a spectator sport I enjoy like none other. I was watching a game on TV the other night when it occurred to me that there are some relevant parallels between baseball and business – and I’m not talking about the fat contracts being inked these days by the all star players (like the $154 million seven-year contract Adrian Gonzalez signed today with the Red Sox).
Years ago, a sportswriter whose name escapes me characterized baseball as a game of “suddenness: suddenly, anything can happen.” But what a range of possible happenings the game presents. While it’s a game of subtleties, if you know baseball well and know what to watch for, you generally have a pretty good idea of what might happen next. Even then, the range of possibilities is virtually numberless. But at least you know in general what to expect.
It’s all there in front of you and it’s only a matter of being familiar enough with the nuances of the game and the two particular teams on the field to be able to assess the situation and make a fair prediction about what might or should happen next.
The circumstances at any given point in the game and their variations are infinite. The most skillful ballplayers and fans know how each particular set of circumstances should be played, both offensively and defensively: whether the infielders and/or outfielders should play shallow or deep; what kind of pitch the catcher should call for; whether the batter should swing for the fences, bunt, or “take” the next pitch (not swing); whether the runner on first base should take a short lead to keep the pitcher honest, or attempt to steal second. And on and on it goes.
The same holds true with business. There are an infinite number of possibilities for each given situation. But unlike the game of baseball played on a finite field that’s completely in view, you can’t always readily perceive all the variables that can come into play in a given business situation.
For instance, in a weak and uncertain economy such as the one we’re experiencing now, should your company invest in new plants, equipment and people, or hoard your cash in a protective crouch? It depends on a number of factors, not the least of which is your company’s position in its industry versus your competitors; the strength of your new product development pipeline; the relative strength or weakness of the markets and customers to whom you sell your products/services; and your cash flow and cash reserve, to name just a handful.
That’s why it’s imperative for all people, no matter their position or level of responsibility within your organization, to be fully cognizant at all times of all that impacts the business. That includes the dynamics both inside and, especially, outside the company. Think of the business arena as a ball field, with a lot of different players, each with a different role and capabilities.
The trouble is business is not as simple as a baseball game with just two competitors on the field. It’s more like a free-for-all paintball tournament without teams. It’s you against everyone else. While you take aim at one player in front of you, you’ve failed to notice the opponent hiding behind an adjacent tree about to fire a pellet at your backside and take you out of the game.
That’s why effective internal communications are so important in helping a business achieve success, repeatedly and well into the future. A smoothly operating communications function is a company’s best means of assuring that its people stay well informed about the evolving paradigm in which the company operates, such as new competitive threats, evolving governmental regulations and increased corporate taxes, or the hurricane that’s bearing down on your manufacturing plant on Florida’s panhandle.
At the same time, communications must provide the means by which those same people can communicate up and down and across the organization to share insights and ideas, while seeking answers to their unique challenges.
In short, the communications function and the people who manage it must operate as though they were the play-by-play announcer sitting in the broadcast booth high above home plate. He brings to bear his wisdom from years of playing and watching the game, combined with his eye for the action and the added advantage of having the best seat in the house.
Even still, it’s an imperfect analogy because it’s more than that. It’s as though while you’re calling the game, you’re also facilitating the means by which the fans tuned into your broadcast can ask questions about a particular play, or offer an insight about the game. In short, it’s a tough assignment, but an important one.
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