Perry Hill has spent a lifetime in baseball.
“When I was growing up, I would always have coaches tell me like 19 different things and I would just get overwhelmed, like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa,’” Hill told the Tyler Kepner of the New York Times, “So I tried to come up with one word that, as you did it, would take care of all those other words that they were saying, try to make it simple.”
Hill, now 63 and serving as infield coach of the Miami Marlins, did more than come up with a word; he came up with six of them all beginning with the letter F: feet, field, funnel, footwork, fire and follow. Each of the words references how a player can get his body in sync with his arm and his feet in order to field the ball cleanly and throw to the appropriate base.
Under Hill’s tutelage Hill’s players have excelled individually and collectively. One of his former players just signed a $50 million contract, in part because he had become a much better defensive player. Hill’s system puts players into position where they can succeed.
And that’s a lesson any manager can learn and so in the spirit of Hill – and in honor of another baseball season dawning – let me offer three tips for any manager seeking to connect with his players more effectively.
Tell them what you want them to do. Set clear expectations for the job as well as performance. Give them concrete examples of what you are asking. Provide them with the resources they need.
Teach them how you want them to behave. Set the right example for how a leader conducts himself in the workplace.
Make Time for them. Let your employees know you care about their performance. Practice an open door policy so that they know you are available when they need you.
Employing the 3T model won’t make you a Perry Hill but it will signal to your employees that you are serious about helping them succeed.
There’s something else Hill brings to his coaching: his personal commitment. Don Mattingly, manager of the Marlins, says, “Perry has such a stellar reputation in the game. He’s enthusiastic, he detailed… He’s a good teacher and he loves the infield.”
Employees know when their manager cares. When they know their manager wants them to succeed, and is willing to teach them how to do their jobs better, they become more engaged. It’s human nature. We want to perform for people who care about us and want to make us better.
Nothing like baseball to bring home life lessons. Play ball!
