Sparky Anderson

Sparky Anderson was a baseball man.  He was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, a team called the Big Red Machine.  Later, he became the first manager to win a World Series in both the National and American Leagues.  A feat that was later repeated by Tony La Russa.  He passed away 11/4/2010.

Anderson was know for a number of  great quotes. One of my favorites is "Baseball is a simple game. If you have good players and if you keep them in the right frame of mind then the manager is a success."  In honor of Sparky, that will be the bases of this week's blog.

A few years ago, I became a much better manager.  We hired two new sales people that instantly made me better.  So the players really do make a huge difference in your ability.  As you look at 2011, what improvements do you need to make in your personnell?

If the answer is, "nothing, my team is the kind of caliber to hit our goals and complete our mission."  Then how can you improve your performance of keeping them in the right frame of mind.  Here are some suggestions:

1.  Understand that as manager, it is your job to adjust to your team, not the other way around.  Find out what your team needs and do your best to give it to them.

2.  Lead by example.  If you are constantly having to remind people that you are the manager, you need to do a better job of leading.

3.  Find out what drives your people and use that to motivate them. Phrases like "Have you made me any money today?" or "As manager, I need you to do...."  Instead, show them how doing this activity will help them achieve their goals.

So this week, spend some time with Sparky's quote and see how you can help your team stay in the right frame of mind.

Have a great week, see you later. 

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