Thank You, Giants

Before our feet return to the ground, TJOW would like to extend a warm and heartfelt thank you to the San Francisco Giants. They've done something no other San Francisco baseball club has ever done. In the process, they've also provided a series of teachable moments for anyone interested in creating a culture of success, a tradition of winning.

Indeed, how the Giants became champions and, impressively, how they've handled themselves since winning the World Series establishes an important blueprint for any organization interested in outperforming their competition. In many ways, the Giants stole liberally from The Schnur Consulting Group's playbook on creating and sustaining high-performing organizations. And as life-long Giants fans, we're thrilled they did.

Thank you, Giants! Thank you for:

• Believing that the team is more important than any individual -- and building systems to support that concept.
  

• Demonstrating that 'chemistry' -- a.k.a. culture -- is essential to winning.

• Finding talented players who fit, who could be one of us, and who could truly become San Francisco Giants.
  

• Allowing the team to create its own stories, its own personalities, its own idiosyncrasies, its own internal rules. It's no irony that during the team's many losing years, facial hair and long hair were forbidden on Giants players. (It's unclear, though, if there was ever a rule against thongs...)
  

• Selecting for the post season roster only those capable of playing San Francisco baseball -- regardless of salary, tenure or age. (Thanks for being a mensch, Zito.)
  

• Honoring the traditions and the history of the organization. This is for you, Willie, Willie, Orlando, Juan, Will, J.T., Rich, Jeff, Barry and hundreds of other former players who laid the foundation.
  

• Including the entire organization in the World Series. The Giants chartered 747s to fly all front office staff and their families to Texas. An act undoubtedly never to be forgotten by those involved.
  

• Demonstrating that everyone associated with the team has a vital role. Ticket takers, other stadium personnel and front office staff marched at the head of the parade.
  

• Honoring those who added to the allure of the team. Steve 'Don't Stop Believing' Perry of Journey, Ashkon of 'Don't Stop Believing' parody fame (see last week's blog), and the 'Fear the Beard' phrase coiner were all featured in the parade.
  

• Encouraging fans -- customers -- to consider themselves to be an essential part of the team, and
  

• Knowing that emotion drives performance. And using it effectively to beat superior opponents.
  

Clearly, the Giants get it. Maybe other organizations can learn and apply some of the fundamentals demonstrated so brilliantly this season. We can show you how to make it happen.

But mostly, though, thank you for this, Giants. A trophy for the ages.

And especially for this.