Baseball is my favorite sport. Peanuts, fast pitches, the possibility that you might catch a foul ball…I love the whole atmosphere! Sports taught me a lot about running an auto repair shop. Read ahead and I’ll show you how.
1. Teams are more successful when players work together.
Every team has a stand-out star; for the New England Patriots, it’s quarterback Tom Brady.
No matter how good Brady might be, he can’t win championships by himself. He needs a strong offensive line to protect him. He needs quick receivers to get open. Otherwise, he’d never be able to make a pass.
Auto businesses are similar. Most employees wear uniforms just like athletes. That’s because uniforms represent unity. Workdays are more productive when everyone lets go of their selfish wants to pursue a common goal.
2. Play to your unique strengths.
Shaquille O’Neil is really bad at free throws.
He is so bad at free throws that other basketball players intentionally fouled him during close games.
That doesn’t mean Shaq was bad at basketball. He just had to excel in a different way. He holds the third highest field goal percentage of all-time, because he played to his strength. It’s easy to dunk over guys half your size!
3. Don’t let a winning streak make you arrogant.
Have you heard of the Sports Illustrated curse?
According to this urban legend, any player or team who gets featured on the cover will perform badly in the next year. Sounds interesting, but it’s totally false.
Anyone who gets featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated had an exceptional year. No one could perform at that level for their entire career. In reality, an athlete’s performance will go up and down depending on variables like injuries, personal health, level of competition, and luck. Don’t get cocky. Improve every day.
4. Conflict can cause a lot of problems.
Ego is the enemy of success. If a player puts their desire to show off before winning games, their coach won’t be happy. This can create an internal struggle that affects the whole team’s performance.
Conflict causes problems at auto repair shops, too. You might hear things like, “Bob doesn’t come to work on time, so why should I?” Or, “Jane didn’t get in trouble for violating this policy, so why are you fussing at me?”
Make no exceptions. Treat every employee equally. If your employees get the impression that you’re playing favorites, the entire work environment will suffer. Deal with conflict immediately. The longer you let a fire burn, the harder it gets to put it out.
5. Foul… foul… foul… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I love baseball, but I have to admit one part is boring.
Sometimes players hit foul balls over… and over… and over. Five or ten minutes go by without any action on the field! That’s a great analogy for life.
Most pitches (and workdays) aren’t very eventful. Even so, those baseball players are ready to chase a ball in any direction. There are slow moments in baseball (and life), but that doesn’t mean you should fall asleep at the wheel. Stay alert! You never know when an opportunity will present itself.
Running an auto repair shop is fun when you treat it like a game or team sport. If you know any mechanics or business owners who would appreciate this list, please share. Thanks! 🙂
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