HOT READS FOR THE PRACTITIONER
Title: Management Advice from the Great Yogi
Competencies: multiple
Who benefits: people with a sense of humor
Consultant Usage: future quotes in your practice
What’s it about? Summer is upon us. Maybe it is time to take a break from all the serious stuff and enjoy a light-hearted look at some of the heavy issues sometimes discussed here.
And who better to give us a joyful look at some management competencies other than the great modern philosopher and sage, professor Yogi Berra – baseball player, baseball manager, and wise man who candidly admits he didn’t say everything he said.
But here is what he did say about some of the competencies we support on this Blog:
Adaptability/Flexibility: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
Building Strategic Relationships: “Always go to other people’s funerals; otherwise they won’t go to yours.”
Business Acumen: “You can observe a lot by watching.”
Coaching/Talent Development: “If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him.”
Conceptual/Analytical Thinking: “Ninety percent of the time the game is half mental.”
Driving Strategic Direction: “We’re lost, but we’re making good time.”
Financial Leadership: “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
Inclusiveness: “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
Oral Presentation: “If you ask me a question I don’t know, I’m not going to answer.”
Oral Communication: “It was hard to have a conversation with anyone. There were too many people talking.”
Strategic Planning: “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”
Time Management: “It gets late early out there.”
Written Communication: “Never answer an anonymous letter.”
There you have it. Advice from the great professor and philosopher. Hope you enjoyed it. Or as the great Yogi might have said: If you didn’t enjoy it, don’t come back to enjoy it again.
Catch you later.
Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.
