I like Joe
Torre. I even like to watch him when he’s plotting ways to outfox Charlie
Manuel’s Phillies. (Disclosure: I want the Phillies to win the World Series
again in my lifetime. To do that this year requires them to beat Torre’s
Dodgers.)
My admiration
for him has to little to do with his success managing the Yankees. (He won
three straight World Series championships there and his teams competed in the
post-season 12 consecutive years before heading to LA.)
No, I like
the way he manages people. In articles and later in his own book entitled
Groundrules
for Winners, Torre highlights the importance of getting to know your team,
communicating directly, trusting your intuition and sustaining optimism. (He
also has thoughts on how to survive a tempestuous relationship with your boss.)
He realizes
that managers can only do so much. In response to one sportswriter’s question,
he estimated that a big league manager’s game time decisions could make a
difference in 10 or 12 wins a year. He also recognizes that in the course of a 162 game
season, there are a lot of losses to recover from and that managers have to
keep things in perspective for their teams.
Torre
believes that although the manager is responsible for everybody, he can only
really control what he does. Managing is about helping people reach their
potential; for Torre
“Competing
at the highest level is not about winning. It's about preparation, courage,
understanding and nurturing your people, and heart. Winning is the result.”
Avoiding motivational
speeches, Torre believes in the value of 1 on 1 coaching, which gives him the
opportunity to:
- Let people know what he expects
- Bolster people’s confidence
- Answer questions and
- Offer support
Takeaways for sales managers
from JoeTorre? Here are mine:
- There are a lot of ups and downs in selling.
Keep your perspective.
- It’s about your team, not about you. They hit
the home runs, not you.
- Invest time preparing your team to compete. Your
job is to make them better.
- Find time for 1 on 1 coaching. If you don’t
schedule it, it won’t happen.
Any other lessons from
sports? Email me at nmiller@mzbierlyconsulting.com.
