Winning Isn't Easy

Winning isn't easy. Winning consistently is even harder.

Just ask the Philadelphia Phillies who almost became the first National League team since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds to repeat as champions. Just ask the New York Yankees who did win the World Series last week, but hadn't for nine years. Nine years.

For them, that's a drought of biblical proportions. It's just one of the reasons they had a $201.5 million payroll this year. (That's base comp, by the way.) And spent another $1.2 billion on a new stadium.

As a passionate fan of the San Francisco Giants -- a team that hasn't won the World Series since 1954 (that's 55 years and counting) and never in San Francisco -- I often wonder what separates winning teams from the pretenders.

On a related note, I also often wonder why most of us can't change our sports allegiances to other, more successful teams. Why expend such emotion on an also-ran when there are winners to support? Why not, say, trade in the black and orange for pinstripes? A nine-year drought should be easy to endure, especially when compared to one that's 55 years long and will likely continue until dinosaurs again roam the Earth. Or later. But most of us can't. Love, I guess, will keep us together, to quote Captain and Tennille, which I can't believe I just did. (Admit it: You're humming it now, aren't you? You know you are. Nothing to be ashamed of. It's a catchy tune. Just don't start singing, okay?)

Back to the topic at hand. As a student of the wild, wacky world of business, I'm frequently asked what it takes to forge a contender and, hopefully, an organization that consistently outperforms the competition. Asked in non-Corporate speak: What's it take to win?

And while there's no absolute formula, there are some things that all marketplace winners have. These include:

• A terrific vision. Something that captures the heart, creates exciting possibilities and, in the process, attracts top talent. Let's take the visions of two fierce competitors. Which one of the following better achieves the objectives of a terrific vision?
  

To help people and businesses realize their full potential




To change the world

• Leadership. The kind that sets a compelling agenda, outlines how the agenda will be accomplished, enlists and entrusts many to help achieve the agenda and is not satisfied until the agenda is accomplished.
  

• Talent. Rock-star quality if you can find it but, for sure, solid talent up and down the organization. Here's where the vision can be huge. On Microsoft's Jobs page, they ask:

  "How do you see the future?"

  Nice. But then check out Apple's Jobs page:

  "Part career, part revolution." "License to change the world." "Less a job, more a calling."

  If you could choose, in which company would you rather work? (Any wonder that Apple produced the iPod and iPhone while Microsoft couldn't quite get Windows 7 launched?)

• A set of strategic initiatives. Objectives that, if achieved, will help achieve the vision and, in the process, lead to consistent wins in the market. Objectives, by the way, that everyone in the company knows, believes in, and fights to achieve.

• A culture of winning. Some would dismiss this as an 'intangible', the 'soft' part of business. Fine. Those that do probably aren't winning, for this is one of the most critical requirements for consistent success in the market. Such an environment attracts the best, motivates people to perform at a superior level, creates the need for outstanding teams, drives productivity, inspires service and, critically, establishes that elusive 'winning tradition' that so many sports coaches seek. Customers know which companies have it and which don't. Plain and simple, it's the difference between the winners and the pretenders, the difference between the Yankees and the Giants.

And from these things come wonderful products, great service and profitability. Consistently.

One last point on baseball. Now that the Series is over, there are a little more than 100 days until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. Maybe the Giants' drought will end in 2010. (Seen any very large reptiles in your neighborhood? If so, bet the farm on the Giants!)

Have fun this week.