Batter Up! Baseball is in full swing and the smell of Fenway sausage is in the air! (yup, pure Boston fan here, they're wicked awesome). As I sat the other night, with my Sox-fanatic 11 year old son, I observed his ability to call the pitches, or at lease make valiant efforts. My mind wandered, as it does, (because I'm female) and I sat thinking about the types of pitches thrown that can make or break the game. There are ones that seem impossible to hit. Some are low, high, fast or sneaky, while some completely break away and take a different direction. Some even miss the mark completely. Just like these pitches, there are pivotal employees on a team that might mean the difference between succeeding and flat-lining. Each with their own individual talents and contributions, that if were absent, would make all the difference between winning and losing. The parallels between team sports and the workplace have long been studied and are widely accepted as accurate or at the very least, entertaining. Perhaps there are parallels to the different types of pitches thrown and how they are aligned, or not, with the people we spend 40+ hours a week with in the office? aka.....our "teammates" How do the varying personalities on a winning (or losing) team equate to success or failure? Let's have some fun, as my analysis is certainly not gospel, so sprinkle with salt and consume lightly.
Deciding who makes the cut is critical. Will you be Drafted? Traded? Cut? So, what kind of pitch (employee) are you?
Every office has the Fastball, and, if successful, more than one. Direct, poignant, aggressive and competitive. Easily annoyed if impediments block their pathway to success. You're shaking your head because you can easily name some of these folks on your team, and rather quickly. These deadline driven, goal-oriented folks are often hard to keep up with in conversation or on the sidewalk! Their sense of urgency and desire to succeed propels them forward, albeit into greatness! They will push you, and push past you!
These players are diligent, loyal teammates and will often feel aggravated if forced to be surrounded by teammates who aren't as driven. Bottom line, these Pitches make it happen!
Might you be the Curveball in the office? These are equally as desired members of the team. The phrase "I was thrown a Curveball" translates into any deviation from an earlier decided upon path. To change the direction. These teammates are prone to having grand ideas, and if supported, can offer great insight. They often spin a current idea into something bigger than anticipated because they may recognize a fault in a plan that was missed. These quickly adaptable problem solvers are characterized by their incognito personality. Quirky. Maybe by their mere appearance or vocabulary they seem different. However, these pitches are intelligent and quick-witted. It's not important to necessarily win, but it's supremely important to be recognized as a contributor. Often letting other teammates take the stage, the Curveball can be relied upon to step up, and mix up, the game.
If you're the Screwball in the office you know it. Even funnier, you may actually embrace it. These teammates are very low stress, low maintenance and steady. Although they may have a desire to succeed, it is not paramount. Especially if surrounded by Fastballs, they would rather fade to the backdrop and not be noticed. That is....until they are needed. Their gift or talent lent to any team? They are unassuming, their actions can be erratic and unexpected. Not to be dismissed, as the term Screwball may suggest, these teammates are valuable in their own right. Not their "make it happen" counterparts, but are the Steady Betty members that you ought to keep around. Not just for comedic release, although this comes easy for them, these members of your team can be counted on to keep in interesting, genuine and lighthearted. Hard to find, almost as mystical as the Screwball pitch itself. Count your team lucky if you've drafted some of these.
It's clear, but I'll note it anyway, every team needs a healthy mix of members. The Fastballs that will push forward, motivate the team and breed a competitive environment. The Curveballs to keep it real. The unassuming folks, the fixers. And lastly, the always lovable, come out of nowhere, levity injecting Screwballs.
It's all about winning, whatever that may look like for your team. Collaborative members, each doing what they are designed, and hired, to do. If these teammates can't or won't aspire to their slated roles, the team may fail. Ask yourself, what pitch are you and strive each day to be it. It should be noted, there are many other types of pitches. Maybe you identify with one of them. Fabulous! Figuring it out may take some introspection. The goal is to recognize the type of teammate you are, then embrace it. Make great efforts to live up to it, so as not to be traded or cut from the coveted team that may be going places!
Let's pretend it's the 7th inning, we've already stretched, now it's time to sing it loud and proud for the love of the game!
Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts & Cracker Jacks
I don't care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game.
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