Lessons from a Backup Catcher
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Austin Romine is an unlikely source of advice but today he is. Today’s advice comes from an interview he did yesterday with a great suggestion for us all. (From the archives)
A Management Lesson from Coach K
Hi, I’m Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter and you are listening to The No BS Coaching Advice Podcast. I like to spend some time regularly talking with you about some elements of life, the universe and everything. Today, I picked up something from the sports pages, which I tend to read regularly, ad it’s a story that was featured in the New York Post. A little quote from a backup baseball player (It’s not by me).
Austin Romine . . . I believe that’s the correct pronunciation of his last name and, if it isn’t, I apologize. Austin Romine is a backup catcher with the New York
Yankees. He gets to play once, sometimes, twice a week because they’re starting catcher, Gary Sanchez is a monster behind the plate and an adequate catcher defensively. Romine is a strong catcher defensively and, well, he can hit about his weight maybe a little bit more .
As the story goes, going into the season, he was encouraged to do better offensively and basically was told that he had to hit better. when you are a backup in Major League Baseball, you know that when you’re being told that you have to hit better, you better hit better because there’s always someone else out there.
It’s not like you are a starter and you were star and whatever defensive liability you may have can be made up by being a monster at the plate. Here, you’re being told improve. So, the story goes that he learned a valuable lesson. Here it is folks.
“Stop trying to do what I want to do and do what I have to do with the play. Whatever the job calls for, get it done.” And what he did was go to another backup player who hit for average. Wasn’t a great player like, again, plays once or twice a week, but the guy hits. .310. 290. he’s a good backup player and fields well and hits more than well .As a result, Romine’s average has gone from like low 200s to over .300 at this point.
The reason I bring up this story is how many of us, myself included, try to force the issue instead of just going with what’s necessary. In this particular case, Romine went to the other backup, learned how to hit a little bit differently. As he said, by shortening my swing, going to the other field more often, etcetera. What can you be doing differently, instead of hitting your head against the wall?
Not sure? Hire a coach. I’d like to coach you but, if not me, hire someone else and get some input. Develop a relationship because it’s often not just one thing that needs to be changed. Maybe, over time, in order for it to take hold.
So, again, if you’d be interested in my coaching you, reach out to me. My LinkedIn profiles ais t linkedin.com /in/TheBigGameHunter. Connect with me there. Then message me about coaching. I’d love to help you.
Hope you have a great day. Take care.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. He is hired to provide No BS Career Advice globally. That can involve job search, hiring staff, management, leadership, career transition and advice about resolving workplace issues. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2500 episodes.
I do a livestream on LinkedIn, and YouTube (on the JobSearchTV.com account) Tuesdays at 1 PM Eastern. You can send your questions about job search, hiring better, management, leadership or to get advice about a workplace issue to me via messaging on LinkedIn or in chat during the approximately 30-minute show.
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