Now that football season is over and baseball season is around the corner (I’m a huge baseball fan) it got me thinking how similar work is to baseball. Now, back in my day I was a catcher or the position responsible for calling the plays and continually adjusting the player to the correct places. As a catcher I had to learn how to control the speed of the game and know when to make adjustments, just like what I do at work. Every day I have a game plan for how I want the day to go and what I need to do to keep my day on track.
In the early innings, or the beginning of my day, I know I am just getting a feel for the day just as a pitcher and catcher are getting the feel for the start of the game. If a batter comes up to bat and is not swinging, a catcher’s job is to adjust the pitcher according to what the batter is doing. This is similar to work when obstacles arise during the morning and if you don’t adjust as the issues come up, then it can throw your entire day off. If a pitcher and catcher don’t adjust early enough it will cost them the game just like how if you don’t adjust early in the morning it will cost you the day.
The middle innings, or in our case after lunch, can really be difficult as you are now getting settled in for the day and have a good feel for how things are going. Then all of a sudden you get a wrench thrown at you. The coach decides to bring in a new pitcher or a client calls with an issue. So now instead of staying on plan you have to adjust to the current situation just like adjusting to a new pitcher half way through the game. Always remember to stay calm and adjust by going over your remaining plans for the day and re-prioritize your goals according to what you need to do in order to be successful. A catcher will adjust to the strengths of his new pitcher to make sure he gives the team a chance to close it out and get the team a win.
The final innings, or the home stretch, of the day is when it becomes the craziest. Just like a catcher who is usually dealing with multiple new pitchers toward the last part of the game, for some reason things seem to fall from the sky toward the last few hours of the day. This usually pulls us in different directions, but the goal remains the same to win the game and to make the day a success. If you close the day strong, not only will you get the win for the team but also for your clients. Like any good ball player, the more work you do in the locker room the better player you will become, which is why each day I make a list of the things that I need to accomplish to start the next day off right.
Josh Wigginton
I have been an Account Manager with AurStaff since July of 2015. I love building relationships with my clients and candidates. The best part of my career is helping candidate who are down on their luck find a great job. Outside of work I spend all my time with my 5 year old daughter Leah and my beautiful wife of 9 years Amanda watching Stl. Cardinals baseball. I also enjoy spending the day with our 3 dogs Jack, Yadier Molina and Lou!
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