I looked back over recent blogs and yes, I often talk about sports.
I often talk about politics too. The main reason I talk about both is that they are such public examples of effective and less than effective communication.
SUCH PUBLIC examples of protecting one’s value or not protecting one’s value, of communicating one’s value or doing a poor job of communicating one’s own value are easy targets to point out and to pick on whether the reader is a sports enthusiast or not.
This morning an early call to my cell phone from a CEO found me once again going to a sports analogy. This CEO has continually dealt with a disappointing work ethic from a member of the executive team. For the first couple of years, the results covered up the late arrivals and early departures. The abundance of missed days for kid’s sporting events and school trips does not exceed the work that needed to be done.
The CEO kept reflecting on the past good work of the vice president. Here is where today’s sports analogy came in.
The Golden State Warriors had the best regular season record in the history of the NBA. Period. That is not opinion, not up for negotiation; it is a fait complete-done in the record books forever. WHETHER the Warriors lost in the first game of the first round or the last game of the last round, nothing was going to change their record setting season.
The skills it took to have the best record EVER in the NBA, better than Michael Jordan, Kobe, or Magic had, were not enough to win the championship. And that too is not opinion, not up for negotiation, and not going to change.
A different skill set was needed for the 7 game series than for the 7 month season. A different mental toughness was needed for one week than for one season. No longer could the team or the Warrior fans hold up the number 73 and have it be the be all and end all to all discussion. In other words, what got them to the playoffs was not enough to get them that big gold trophy that K-Love showed off on Colbert last night.
Which brings me to your workplace and your challenges and your current team.
That this vice president’s work ethic USED to be enough to justify his work habits, does not mean that the same style works today. A year or two in today’s world is like a decade.
The regular season of the NBA ended in April. Not even three months ago it seems like an eternity. THINGS move fast today. What was good enough just a few months ago may not be good enough today whether you are a week day warrior or a Golden State Warrior.
