Recently, I saw the movie, Moneyball. The film is about the business of baseball. It features lessons which can be directly applied to any organization with business problems.
The film is based on the true story of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics. Billy initiated a player and game strategy based on a theory presented to him about how baseball games can be won without a huge player payroll. The Boston Red Sox, for example, went on to play in a World Series based on this theory.
In the movie, Billy meets with the Oakland A’s scouts to discuss how to replace three players just lost to free agency and leaving a real gap in the roster. He asks the question: What is our problem? Then goes on to ask: How do we remain competitive and not simply act like a farm team to the teams with bigger player budgets? Only to receive answers he’s heard before. When he asked the questions again, he didn’t hear anything new. Just more of the same. That wasn’t good enough for Billy. Nor should it be for you with your business.
As a CEO, president or business owner, ask yourself:
- How many times have I asked the same questions over and over and over again only to not receive anything other than the same answers over and over and over again?
The same answers are not going to give you the business success or the business results you want for your company. It requires, sometimes, taking a more innovative approach with fresh ideas and perspective.
Billy realized that in order to have a shot at winning, something had to change. No more of the same old, same old. The answer to winning; to being competitive meant not looking at the obvious or doing what every other team was doing.
It was an uphill battle for Billy. All of the people that surrounded him in team management were at the onset in complete opposition of the original thinking he brought to the game. If Billy wasn’t strong willed, determined and a visionary he wouldn’t have had the success he has had in baseball. He was able to take a small market team and for many years fielded a competitive team against teams with far more well-funded rosters. Which proves the theory that winning involves much more than just dollars.
The movie is filled with business lessons and great business quotes that can be applied to your business as well as to baseball. After all, baseball is a business.
One of the key lessons from the scene featured here in this post today is that the business problems you are experiencing may not be the real problems to focus on. Your business problems may not be what you think they are.
Because I specialize in advising CEOs, presidents and business owners, I often hear business people say to me that they have a business problem. When digging deeper, my analysis often concludes that they don’t really a have a business problem. Instead, a company may have, for example, a sales problem, an operations problem, an employee problem, a cash flow issue or some other specific business problem.
If you don’t become an original thinker like Billy Beane your business may not have a winning season. Moneyball, the movie, proves you don’t have to be a big corporation to win at the game of business.
You certainly shouldn’t throw out every single business principal you have learned but you do have to think about your business in a different way; and in turn, get your employees to think about business in a different way. Customer service has to be extraordinary. Sales people can’t continue the same old tired pitch. Business goals must be met and exceeded. No excuses. Just solid business results to keep moving your company forward.
If you haven’t seen the movie, Moneyball, put it on your to-do list. Then think about how, as a CEO, president or business owner, you are going to shake up your business to have a MORE winning season and year.
Dig deeper. Think differently about your business.
Remember: Your business problems are not what you think they are. Take another look at how to solve your business problems. There is always a solution.
To your success!
Business strategist and expert, Howard Lewinter, guides – focuses – advises CEOs, presidents and business owners throughout the United States across a wide variety of industries to MORE success – MORE profit – less stress. Business problems? Business issues? Get MORE from your business! Talk business with Howard: 888-738-1855.