My belief is that because a doubles player has a team mate, he feels that by going for his shots and hitting the ball out he is letting his team mate down. The doubles player becomes less likely to take risks and tends towards a more defensive approach. Such behaviour is only exacerbated by the constant refrain of a double partner to "keep the ball in play." Part of that sentence is left unsaid..."keep the ball in play so that I come into play."
It is this underlying human nature that ensures that in the middle management of large corporations managers seldom want to take risks. The decision that is made is usually something that is acceptable to one and all who would have a say in the decision. The path of least resistance. The management tends towards hitting the ball in the oppositions court and keeping the ball in play.
But the same behaviour is probably not displayed at the higher levels. Just like professional doubles players learn to play aggresively when required, managers at the high levels probably learn the art of making decisions, sticking with them and pushing them through the system. The really good managers learn when to hit winners and when to keep the ball in play despite playing doubles - being part of large teams/comittees/ boards that decide the course of action.
In small firms and entrepeneurial organisations this phenomenon of management by "minimum consensus" does not occur. The decisions are made by a single authority. If a large corporation wants to maintain an agressive middle management team they must replicate the structure of small companies and help their management team retain the ability to take risks and hit the winners.
Oh!...The things you think about when you are serving double fault after double fault....
7 comments:
I will agree with the protect your team - don't take risks - phenomenon. That does happen.
But then the world is trying to move away from aggressive risk taking approach. So, should it be the other way round? There is also the concept of teaching managers about what is good risk and what is bad risk. What they call as percentage shots in tennis.
The same parallel can be applied to a T20 and an ODI. Substantial risks taken by a team in the shorter version ensures high returns ala aggressive startups, as opposed to an ODI where the same team would have to employ a more conservative game play. My 2 cents on your esoteric observation..
The sports-mgt parlance that you hv used to explain certain human frailties is apt. Sport imitates Business life in many ways.
When Team effectiveness is in place i.e., better understanding between the players & complete confidence in each others abilities, doubts as to when to hit the winners or to keep Ball in play does not arise. You play with the flow of the game & put the demons of the mind to rest.
@ Naresh - I agree completely - there is good risk and bad risk. In other words - there are some risks which are just plain stupid, which have been taken either by burying your head in the ground or by throwing sand in someone else's face. While the world does seem to be attempting to move away from agressive risk taking approach - in the financial world particularly. I believe that risk taking in the other, more conventional - management world has to increase. With more information available to all - the opportunities that can be uncovered have increased tremendously. There is much more scope for collaboration. The risk taking ability of managers (entrepreneurial character - you could call it) will become essential for companies to survive. Nimbleness and ever-changing strategy will be key. I guess rather than "risk" ( since the word seems to have taken a negative connotation) - you could call it a devolution of responsibility and an increased level of independence - faciliated by the ease in ability to monitor due to better networks.
@ Anees - but cricket, T20 or ODI is going to remain a team game. Those 'demons of the mind' as Vasant calls it will always play a role. They are only increased when a team is insecure. Perhaps the recent performances of the indian cricket team indicate a growing insecurity amidst the young team.
@ Vasant - well said. In many ways that is the essence of great players - going with the flow, taking along your team members. Building great partnerships - Steve Waugh or Brian Lara batting with the Tail...
Great to see you here. How have you been? I will keep up with your blog now.
@ Sarath - Good to catch up with you too. Many congratulations on your success at cracking MIT Sloan & for co-founding sustainability network. Cheerz!
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