Winners Want the Ball

In College Basketball when the score is tied and the time on the game clock and shot clock are similar but only have enough time for one more play, both the coaches and all the players of both teams know that the ball should be in the hands of the player who has the highest percentage of baskets, regardless of their position on the team... as our game at this level is managed and controlled by the numbers.

However, in Professional Basketball, it is not always the person with the highest percentage of baskets and in whose hands the ball should be but in the hands of the team leader which again may or may not be the elected Captain of the team, but in the hands of that person who most embodies the mindset of a winning attitude.

Let me explain.

A team may have a player that makes 80% of all their shots (the highest on the team) but only shoots the ball an average time of 20 each game so if we assume that all these shots are 2 points (not three) then that person contributes 36 points.

A team may have another player who shoots 50 times per game but always makes 20 baskets, equally divided between 2 and 3 point shots, contributing 50 points each game; but, this team player is also a “play maker” and passes the ball to other players on the team, encouraging them to shoot and build their confidence.

This person seems to be a natural leader (a natural on-the-floor coach) and may or may not be the Captain of the team, but everyone knows that he possesses the leadership skills, the confidence, and the mindset to believe in himself and the fact that he is going to make the basket...

In these last few seconds, it is these hands that everyone knows the ball should be and not the one with the highest percentage.

So too, is this the case with the business world that also seems to be undermined by others, including themselves from ensuring that this will naturally happen, especially when everyone has the best of intentions on their minds.

Let me explain.

The following is a phrase that I have heard over and over and over again at the high school level, the college level, and the “real world” level:

“If we just believe in something because we have been told to believe it, then we no longer have to think for ourselves anymore.”

I wonder how many of you do this or have done this at some point in your careers, or perhaps you are still doing this because you want to keep your job?

And, since the problem goes both ways, how many of you don't think or want to think as much as you used to because you know that someone else is going to do it for you?

When I think about this thinking game, these people and/or types of positions come to mind:

• Church Pastors and Ministers
• State Governors
• Lawyers and Judges
• Executive Branch of Federal Government
• Military Leaders at level E4 and above
• Teachers and Coaches
• Retail Store Owners
• Fast Food Managers
• Production Managers
• Olympic Trainers
• Parents and Relatives
• All types of Executives (including Dept. of Corrections)

Although, some of us want subordinates, but only in some situations, to think for themselves; but, this is not always addressed in a well articulated manner during employment orientations because it is perceived that this behavior trait is better handled on a case-by-case basis... while at the same time, we make the assumption that ALL individuals in question will think “almost perfectly” and exhibit complete “know how” when a situation of this type and magnitude arises as a result of “common sense” that we all have...

This is not a good thing to assume as there are varying degrees of common sense that oftentimes is only accrued through experience.

Let me explain.

When I was Dean of Academics at a Proprietary School in the great State of Kentucky, I expelled an African American after repeated offenses of the Student Code of Conduct as stated in the College Catalog and Student Handbook, given and explained to all students; plus, these students sign a sheet of paper saying that they understood all that was being explained to them and each one of those key items is again listed, including all the ones that this student had violated.

It was early in the morning the next day, and I was the only Management person around when several African American Civil Rights Groups entered the campus along with lawyers and the expelled students and asked to speak to someone in charge.

I had received no training for this type of situation.

After everyone one had made introductions, they demanded to speak to someone to reinstate this student or they were all going to drive to Corporate Head Quarters about 3 hours away. I asked for the business card of the person who would be doing the talking for the group, asked several people to take their orders for food and drinks and handed them my credit card and told the group I would be right back.

I walked straight into an office and called Corporate Head Quarters and was damn emphatic that the VP of Education be called out of a meeting with the CEO of the company so that he could talk to me. I explained the situation to him and he told me to “stall” them somehow while he had a chance to talk with legal and he would call me back.

I returned to my visitors and thanked them for their patience and helped distribute the food and drinks while telling them about our campus and my decision to leave another State and accept this position here. I apologized for having to make them wait but there were teleconference that the individuals in question were attending and from which they could not break free for this unscheduled meeting. They all appeared receptive and told me that they had expected to be asked to leave the campus. I took them on a campus tour and tried to “entertain” them as best as I could and after about 30 minutes the VP of Education called me back with Legal on the line and they asked to speak to the spokesperson.

After a 5 minutes conversation, the spokesperson had reappeared and informed the group that they all had been invited to Corporate (at Corporates expense) and would be more than willing to listen to their concerns over lunch.

They left and I went back to my office where my VP of Education called me again and informed me that everyone here was very impressed with all the actions that I had taken because only the Campus Presidents had been trained as to what to do in a situation like this and in his 20 years of employment, I was the only untrained employee who had handled it the way Corporate wanted it to be handled, including some of the Campus Presidents who had been trained and panicked.

What to do did in fact come from common sense but that common sense came from years and years and years of experience handling different situations inappropriately.

Because of the ways things are in the “real world,” I would speculate that Upper Management only wants LEADERS and THINKERS when it is convenient for them and/or when it appears to be the only solution to improve the “bottom line,” otherwise they want to be the ones to tell people what to believe and/or what not to believe.

Consequently, Upper Management always wants the ball in the last few seconds of the game so that they alone can control or have the perception of control over the game's outcome... and, are not that concerned or depressed if it does not go their way... because they always hedge their bets... that is to say they invest in outcomes on both sides of the fence so they are guaranteed to win.

Funny... but, I always think of Pete Rose when I think about stuff like this...