| Last summer my grandson Dylan, who was
playing on a little league team, went into a hitting slump. He had been swinging
vigorously, doing his best to look like a big-league slugger. But he was missing the ball
more often than hitting it.
Because I know that Dylan has excellent eye-hand
coordination, I told him to quit swinging the bat and start hitting the ball. He objected:
"How can I hit the ball if I don't swing the bat?" The difference, I explained,
is what you think about when you swing. "Concentrate on connecting with the
ball."
"You have a great eye," I continued. "Just
say to yourself, I'm going to hit the ball." The result? He hit 27 of the next 30
pitches. Granted, all of the 27 weren't solid hits. Some were fouls, but he had learned to
hit the ball.
What is the lesson for leaders? You or your people could be
vigorously going through the motions, even necessary motions, but not scoring any runs.
In order to focus, you may need to say a mantra to
yourself, or use a prop. Helen Gurley Brown, long-time editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine,
used a prop. She made it a practice to keep a copy of the magazine on her desk at all
times. She said she used the magazine on her desk to keep her thoughts focused on
producing a product -- the magazine -- and not decorating the office or engaging in
pleasant conversations.
Let's say you're a VP of sales, and you have made it a rule
that your sales people make, say, 5 contacts per day, per week. You certainly want to
emphasize how important it is to make those 5 contacts, because nobody sells unless they
make contacts. But make sure that your people recognize that the goal is not 5 contacts
per day--that's swinging the bat. The goal is making sales when they make the contacts.
Making the contacts is swinging the bat. Selling is hitting
the ball when you swing. |
