Winners Like to be Around Winners
Posted on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 by Frank RocheI went to the Philadelphia Phillies game on Saturday night. The game started out badly for the home team — we were down 5-0 after two innings. When we got to the bottom of the ninth, the Phillies were trailing 7-3. That seemed like too much of a deficit to overcome. But it wasn’t.
First, the lead off batter, Matt Stairs, hit a home run. Then, the Phillies got another hit. Then another. Then Ryan Howard stepped to the plate, and in one swing hit a home run that tied the game. Everyone in the stands was going nuts. We all stood as three more Phillies got on base. When the final hit drove in the winning run it was as if the Phillies had won the World Series again. And in Phillies tradition, everyone stayed and sang “High Hopes” together. It was a great moment.
We Knew We Were Going to Win
On Sunday, I read a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the game. Several of the Phillies were quoted saying, “I knew we were going to win.” They said they had a feeling and knew that their teammates knew it too. I have to tell you, overcoming a 7-3 score isn’t exactly easy in baseball. It doesn’t happen very often. But they knew.
Winners Like to be Around Winners
Here’s where HR comes in: Get your organization winning and hire more winners. It’s as simple as that. The Phillies developed a number of good players, brought in a few more, and hired a coach who knew how to get them to think and play like winners. They won big last year and they still go into every game expecting to win.
High Hopes
Bill Strahan
Jul 14th, 2009
Frank -
Great post. I completely agree with you both about the Fightin’s and about HR / companies. Winners do like to be around winners.
I would make one add. It’s another sports cliche.
Winners, find a way to win. It was true Saturday night and it’s true in commerce.
Ron Ulrici
Jul 14th, 2009
Frank,
Another one out of the park (do you like my sports analogy?)! I’ve always said that one of our main tasks in HR is to hire winners. I like your addition – “Get your organization winning.” Sometimes, me thinketh that HR doesn’t realize that this should be a goal for them. I’m going to talk this up in my blog – Thanks, Frank!
Ron
Wally Bock
Jul 15th, 2009
I like the post Frank. I like that you put winning in a team setting. I see many businesses who go after “winners” and wind up with people who compete all the time, even with teammates. That can take you to “Disruptive Star” syndrome pretty quickly.
Frank Roche
Jul 16th, 2009
@Wally, thanks. I think in the Phillies case, they think like a team and it works. I can’t think of a circumstance where the opposite is successful in the long run. Great phrase — Disruptive Star. Nice way to frame that kind of person.
Frank Roche
Jul 16th, 2009
@Ron LOL about the metaphor. Winning is a goal for all of us…fun stuff.
Frank Roche
Jul 16th, 2009
@Bill Thanks….I really like that idea that winners find a way to win. It’s so true. When people say they’re going to get it done, they do. I like that spirit of “we can accomplish anything we put our mind to.” We think that every day in our little shop, and I know you do at WLCC.