Lesson's Learned from OU Baseball Coaches

Whether you are a fan of OU Baseball or not, you and I can learn a few things from the coaches.  Let me explain, stay with me.

A decade or more ago the coach gave the players a rope and made everyone hold on to it from time to time during spring training, the season and the Big 8 tournament.  The idea was to teach them that they had to all pull the rope the same direction to reach their goal. It was a fantastic illustration and they went to the college world series and did very well.  They won the title!  OMAHA, Neb. -- "Twenty-five guys pulling on the same rope."  The 1994 Oklahoma baseball team's season-long motto that inspired them to a 42-17 regular-season record continued to spark OU during postseason play where the Sooners produced thier second baseball national title in school history with a 13-5 rout of Georgia Tech.

This year the coach gave all of the team members practice shirts with the number 540 on it representing the number of miles from OU to Omaha, Nebraska.  The goal was to make it to the last college world series to be played in the most famous college baseball stadium in the world! Well, once again, the coach focused the team on the goal and they made it.  Last night they won their first game after two rain delays lasting a combined 6 hours.

The Lesson's Learned from the OU Baseball Coach are (1). Great leaders get everybody totally focused on the goal(s), (2). They use something simple, yet clear, to help their team focus, (3). They keep the goal ever present through the use of an object, (4). They make it simple so anybody can understand it and/or explain it.

If you are having trouble reaching your goal(s) stop, reflect and see if everyone on the team, all of the stakeholders are totally focused on the goal.  Try adapting these lessons to your situation.  By they way if you are an avid reader like me, you might think you have read this before in the best selling book, Good To Great.  You might be correct!