As we hit the dog days of August, many baseball teams are making decisions on the future of their team. This may be a short term, 2009 view or looking ahead to next year. In Philadelphia, the Phillies made a decision to move veteran pitcher Jamie Moyer to the bullpen in favor of future Hall of Famer, Pedro Martinez. Jamie Moyer has been a great addition to the Phillies over the last 3 years both on the field and in the clubhouse. He was instrumental in the Phillies drive to the World Championship last year recording 16 wins and a 3.71 earned run average (ERA).
During the winter, Jamie signed a two year, $13 million deal. He struggled early on and started the year with a 3 - 5 record and 7.42 ERA. He has improved his record to 10-9 and lowered his ERA to 5.47. The Phillies signed Pedro with the intent of seeing what he can do. Last night was promising. It was a tough decision, but the right one. Jamie took it well the first day it was announced but called an impromptu press conference on Wednesday to say how "disheartened" he is and that he had an agreement to be a starter when he signed his contract. The problem is, he hasn't performed at a level to remain a starter. The Phillies made a decision based on results, not personality. What we predict in the spring may not turn out in August.
For those of you working in an organization, does this sound familiar? Your boss told you at your review in March that they had big plans for you. You started on a key project but there have been some bumps in the road. The results aren't what either of you planned. You're frustrated, angry and upset. The issue is results. What should you be doing differently to get improved results? In most cases, we need to look at ourselves, set goals and achieve at a higher level.
Humans love to blame others for their failings. We blame our boss, the company, our spouses, the kids, traffic, etc. The reality is that we need to take control of our own lives and careers. Yes, we all face disappointment, but how we handle it says volumes about who we are. Jamie Moyer is a great man. He does so much for his team and community. But he let his emotions get in the way on Wednesday. Don't let this happen to you. Stop whining and take charge of your life.
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Is there a corollary here?
ReplyDeleteWhat message do other team members receive when a star (in this case World Series caliber) is pushed to the bench when his performance is no longer stellar, and in the case, the star has seen his poor performance and was acting to overcome it? I think supporting the star to achieve new success could avoid that the rest of the staff sinks to mediocrity as a defensive position.
Good point, but we don't need to air the dirty laundry in public. As we saw last night, Jamie did an incredible job. I believe he will continue to make significant contributions. It's all part of the team concept.
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