The Seven "Must Haves" for Every Organization
#3 We must be completely aligned from owner to minor league batboy
It is amazing to me that leaders in so many organizations pay little attention to complete alignment and clarity from top to bottom.
Just a few years ago a prominent owner often complained that his team did not reflect the characteristics he knew were vital to success. The team mostly won, but not a championship. It was as if the owner and head coach had never talked about this. To remedy the situation the owner took two corrective steps: he talked to the press and fired the coach!
Alignment doesn't magically happen. It takes some work and effort and it starts with ownership. Ownership must take careful thought to what is really important and the implications, and changes needed. This is not just putting nice words on paper.
Major League Baseball teams are vast organizations with some great advantages over the other leagues. They can shape their major league team years before a player steps on a big league diamond. Imagine complete clarity and reinforcement from the owner that goes as deep as the minor league batboy. Players would be groomed, not just on skill sets, but intellectually and behaviorally. Who wouldn't want players ready to handle everything - day 1? What would it cost to do that? Just some time and effort. What does it cost to NOT do it?
Honesty ask yourself, "Is the level of our consistent performance what we really want?" There is an old saying, "You are perfectly aligned to get the results you are getting today." Lack of clarity always results in leaving money on the table.
This is the third of the Seven Great "Must Have's" to make any sports organization great.
We must have cohesive teams in every part of the organization
We must build and maintain trust, never fear discussing the toughest topics, and always practice peer accountability
We must be completely aligned from owner to minor league batboy
