Recognition

Last week, baseball started giving out it awards for the 2010 season. I can't argue the merits of most of the recipients. My beef is with Manager of the Year, specifically in the National League.

Let's look at what I believe should be the criteria for the award. Wins, playoff contender, gets the most out of his team, deals with adversity, and finally-wins. Sorry, in professional sports, wins is very important. Bud Black of the San Diego Padres is the National League winner. Here's how he stacks up against my criteria. First and last-wins. The Padres won 90 games and finished 2 games behind the Giants in the National League Western Division. To his credit, his team won 15 more games in 2010 than in 2009. Playoff contender-nope! Did I mention his team had a 6.5 game lead at the end of August and lost. He did get the most out of his team but he couldn't get the Padres out of their September tailspin. Don't get me wrong, Bud Black is an excellent manager and did a lot with little talent. But you have to win.

Let me make the case for the FIFTH place finisher, Charlie Manuel of the Phillies. Yes, I am biased but you decide if my case makes sense. The Phillies won 97 games, the most in the major leagues. They made it to the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. The team was 7 games behind the Braves in July. During the season, the following starters were injured: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino. Said another way, the entire infield and catcher. At one point Utley, Rollins, Polanco and Ruiz were out of the line up. Five hitters (including the pitcher in the National League) were second teamers. In fact, Ruiz's replacement, Brian Schnieder, was also injured. I can't even remember the third string catcher's name. In addition, he cobbled together a bullpen that was plagued with injuries and ineffectiveness much of the season. So, I would say he dealt with adversity. How does he finish fifth? The answer-expectations. The Phillies were supposed to win and ultimately they did.

I'm sure Charlie Manuel doesn't care. It's not his style. He is a steady performer who worries about doing his job rather than the recognition. His players love playing for him and the fans have finally come to appreciate his talent. He has two rules: hustle and show up on time. What's not to like?

Recognition in the workplace is often a difficult concept to handle. Too much seems trite and too little can send good people packing. Worst of all, misplaced recognition will cause a whole series of problems that could take years to undo. Often it's the steady performers that get overlooked. They show up every day, do their job well, don't ask for much. Be careful, they need attention! Most often it's just a pat on the back and a kind word. Often they are introverts, so the public attention can be a bit uncomfortable. They are the heart of your organization. Remove it, and the team suffers.

Don't be like the sportswriters and ignore the steady performers. Help them reach their goals and affirm their contributions. Appreciate them and you will have a loyal employee for many years to come.