August 7, 2003 Play Ball: A Lesson In Managing

Seems like more and more, the question about the real differences between managing and leading is being raised. Although some of the differences are quite obvious, there is still a great deal of confusion about what these two words really signify. For example, we often hear people described as leaders simply because they have been successful at something. Mary has made her revenue plan for 3 consecutive months; she is a great leader. Or Paul really put up some big numbers on the last sales campaign, therefore he is a real leader. It is a fact that leaders produce results, but just because someone achieves some substantial results, does not necessarily mean she or he is a leader of others.

So we come back to the original question - in what ways are managing and leading really different? In order for people to get a better handle on this, I thought it might be helpful to turn to the place where so many of life's big questions are answered - the game of baseball. After all, the game has been around over one hundred years and the head of the team is called a manager (while in all other sports that person is referred to as the coach or head coach). My suspicion is, the reason he is known as the manager must be because his job is to manage! So perhaps if we look at what he does, it will help explain more precisely what that work really entails.

Like most people, I have been to a handful of major league games. Besides watching the players on the field, I have paid particular attention to what the manager does during the game. Be assured there are a load of things the manager is taking care of that non-experts like me would never recognize. Still, by watching what the manager does do during a game when he is managing, we should be able to learn a lot about the subject. To that end, here are some of the more visible things I have noticed that a baseball team manager does.

He appears before the game starts to bring out the starting line-up card. He will then appear usually for no more than a couple of other reasons. One, is to change pitchers. The other is to contest a call with an umpire, which is more symbolic than anything else. (When was the last time you saw a call reversed?) For the rest of the game, he sits at the end of the bench, usually beside another assistant coach scrutinizing the game. He observes his pitcher, tracking the pitch count and various other statistics. He closely watches the players and plays of the competing team . He sends in very specific directions, such as a bunt, hit and run, even for a batter to "not swing" at a pitch. He will direct the position of his players, moving them a little to the left or right, or a bit closer to or away from the plate. If he is real intense, he may even send in specific pitches he wants the pitcher to throw. And through all of this, the manager keeps tabs on all of the players who are still available to enter the game, those who are out, who is hot against the opposing pitchers, who has been good in a pinch-hitting situation, and so on.

My guess is I have barely scratched the surface of all the details the manager is dealing with during a game. The bottom line is he is constantly making a variety of small and large decisions throughout the game, geared toward helping the team win. Some are very noticeable, like changing pitchers or batters, and some are almost unseen, like advising a player on first to not attempt to steal. Some are successful and, of course, some are not.

So what does this tell us about what a manager does?  Using the example of baseball, we can draw the following conclusions. With due respect, "You just might be managing when you are:"

• spending a lot of time reviewing charts and statistics of all kinds

• constantly reviewing performance metrics

• planning how best to use your resources on a day-to-day basis

• closely watching what your people are doing from your office (the end of the bench)

• providing a lot of detailed directions

• making most of the decisions for the team, big and small

• focusing almost entirely on the work activities (the game) with little to no interaction with your people (the players)

• providing people with feedback typically when something is not going right (sending a pitcher to the showers), AKA managing by exception

• keeping your eyes fixed on short term results (the scoreboard and box score for today's game)

Are these management activities important? You bet - for the manager of a baseball team and the manager of a business (or small department for that matter). Managers are responsible for delivering results right now, and that requires careful attention to a vast assortment of details. If they take their eyes off the ball (sorry) and are unable to put up enough numbers to win, they usually get their walking papers (at least in baseball). Without a doubt, good management is essential to winning.

However, the question about whether management is important is not the right question. The more pertinent one to ask is, "are management activities by themselves enough to ensure you meet your growth and profit goals year after year (or in our example, having consistently winning seasons )?"  The answer to that is clearly "no."  Not in today's world anyway. You have to overcome the tendency to just manage the business by developing the ability to lead the organization and your people as well.

Think about this. There are many pitchers who can throw a powerful fastball. They have worked hard to develop it and it is by far their best pitch. It may, in fact, have been the reason they made it to the big leagues. They have also come to rely on it, especially when they get into a difficult situation. But the far more effective pitchers are those who have developed other pitches as well. They are able to throw the curve ball or the sinker at opportune times and, thus, keep the opposing batter guessing - and missing. Not only do they have more options when the get in a jam, they do not seem to get into as many tough spots to begin with. They also win a lot of games. When teams have a staff of pitchers like these, they frequently find themselves in the playoffs, and often end up alone at the top when the season ends. By the way, many of these pitchers are often awarded the personal recognition of being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

There are a number of people in business who seem to rely solely on the fastball called management. No matter what they circumstances, they tend to "manage harder."   But like the pitchers, it is only when they are able to develop a further set of skills and learn to comfortably step up and utilize them, that they become the most effective and consistently higher producing managers. Those additional skills are called leadership.

For teams to be perennial winners, there are many things that must be tended to, in addition to the management activities cited earlier. For example, people must be motivated and inspired to do their best all the time. Player development must be emphasized, in order to field the best people and to consistently strengthen the bench. The team must share a common purpose that rallies them to persist even in tough times. There must be good chemistry among the team members, which enhances their chance to win even when logic says they are not supposed to. And the list goes on.

This work in accomplishing these kinds of outcomes, which tends to focus more direct attention on human relationships and tomorrow's results, is clearly leadership. And when an organization of any kind creates the advantage of having more and more talented leaders throughout its ranks, it will frequently be at the top of its industry standings for sustained growth and profitability.

Reflection Questions:

To what extent are you providing the appropriate amounts of management and leadership in your work? Does it feel about right or are you a bit overboard with one or the other?