Sports Analogies?

I usually stay away from sports analogies when discussing the work place. However, professional sport is a work place.

Currently, two New York baseball teams are under great scrutiny for individual and team performance.

Fans are outraged at the lack of consistency and questioning everything from recruitment of new players to actual business models. Both teams, the NY Yankees and the NY Mets are currently building new stadiums.

The new stadiums are clearly geared for the "corporate high end private box" crowd as opposed to the everyday "fan". The business management teams will argue that these new arenas with fewer low cost seats, are really designed to help business in general and provide the average fan with a better view. The fans are not buying it.

What's interesting as well, is the sudden rising success of the Los Angeles Dodgers on the West Coast. It has been noted that Joe Torre, the former NY Yankee manager has helped to solve an in-house problem amongst players.

It seems that Joe, with his well known management style, has been able to bring together the younger athletes and the seasoned veterans. A long-term difficulty in the Dodger club house.

The current NY teams are also going through a difficult transition -- building very young players abilities in the face of a real baseball season in the big leagues. And, it is showing. Some believe it's prep time for the new stadiums. That this season is a "write-off" so that next year, really competitive teams will appear in a new money generating environment.

This is conjecture but good stuff for sports fans to argue. However, think about the players. Baseball represents a grueling travel and work schedule. More relentless than we, as observers, can imagine.

What does it mean when young gifted new comers have to work and align with seasoned vets? And, what does it mean to have to work with younger players who offer different views and experience.

Many people who are working in large organizations today, may not carry any of the baggage from the re-engineering days of their company's "journey".

And, research by organizations like Watson Wyatt articulate the rapid number of people turning fifty every day in the U.S. and how that will affect the productivity of organizations as we dwindle the number of workers with deep knowledge.

Two NY teams are suffering right now from a transition of power and lack of ability to adjust to a new composition.

I think about the "keywords" that professional resume writers place into the credentials of "older workers" just to get the resume passed the first line of software logic that sorts peoples' lives into relevant or not relevant.

How do we help understand the workers with knowledge and the workers with thirst for knowledge?

Actually, I don't see this as a sports analogy. Rather, as a U.S. loved activity like baseball, providing a glimpse into our work ethic and enjoyment. A function that baseball has always provided.

Sal