Pittsburgh Steelers’ Post

This Spring, for my Introduction to Operations Management (BUAD306) course at the Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics at University of Delaware, I was challenged by my professor Caroline Swift, as part of our Topic Review Assignment, to research a specific topic of interest, showcasing its connections to the many elements of OM. I decided to conduct a deep dive into Major League Baseball (MLB) and the inevitable expansion process that has been discussed for years, attempting to bring the league to 32 teams across the United States and Canada. While conducting my research, I learned that the most likely candidates for an MLB expansion team include Montreal, Canada, Charlotte, NC, San Antonio, TX, Portland, OR, Sacramento, CA, Nashville, TN, and Salt Lake City, UT. League executives must work alongside local politicians, leaders, and community groups to face the challenges of competition with other professional sports teams, metropolitan area population size, television market, the presence of Fortune 500 or 1000 companies, financial and political capital, and possible ballpark locations. All of this must concurrently be considered alongside the difficulties of engaging a new fan base through marketing and promotions efforts, securing sponsorships and vendors, and dealing with the ethical challenges of relocating homes and businesses for construction along with the destruction of natural landscapes for a new sports facility. In the end, despite its long timeline and high costs, I believe MLB expansion is a good thing for the league and our society at large. Since we are in an era where unity, togetherness, and shared memories are more important than ever before, allowing more fans to experience the joys of America's Pastime is something baseball fans everywhere should consider to be a "home run." If you are interested in this topic and want to learn more, I've attached a copy of the paper to this post. #LernerBiz #MajorLeagueBaseball #OperationsManagement

Scott Parker on his leadership at Fulham: "At the outset, I decided to profile everyone. I got an external company to categorise the players. They spent time with them, spoke to them, asked questions & then gave me a document about that player & how they like to be approached, what traits they have in their personality." "I realised at the back end of my career that the changing room had changed drastically from the one I was brought up in. I’m very black and white." "If I’ve been crap I want someone to say, ‘You’re nowhere near it, you’ve not been good enough’ & I’ll react to that, I’ll take it on the chin, I may go back to that person and we’ll have a disagreement but in the cold light of day when I get in my car, that’ll be it, finished." "But there are different personalities and cultures and the game has changed. How you approach one player can be very different to another. One player might want it like I used to, just wanting to be told when they’ve not done well enough." "Another player doesn’t want to be exposed in the changing room, wants it done behind closed doors. How do you set the environment for a serious conversation? Is it on the training pitch sitting on the ball? Is it in the manager’s office?" "Or do they sense it’s serious & then clam up? That profile of every player gives me a real understanding and if I need to speak to that player, it’s always a reference for me to look at and understand." "It’s just a reference, it’s not a definite or something I always stick to, but it’s something I can draw on. You’d be amazed. You walk into changing rooms now and instantly players are on their phones, they’re looking through loads of stuff." "Social media and the technology side I’m crap at. I don’t like it and because I don’t like it and I’m not engaged with it, I find it harder to understand, but I realise it’s something I’m going to have to improve on because it ain’t going to stop. It’s not going away." “Having conversations with players now, you’re not always talking football." "When I was a player talking to a manager he might ask about the family a little bit & have a general chit-chat, but now you’re having a real conversation & you need to be more educated at certain moments. All that stuff comes into it.” [The Athletic] = I have studied 203+ directors & 131+ managers in football. Communication is the bedrock principle of leadership. Honest communication leads to trust & respect. Leadership starts with empathy for the person. Then the player. Leadership ultimately drives results. - Each week, I send one email with principles that sharp decision makers in football use to gain an edge. It's always short [5 minutes or less] & comes every Saturday morning. Join 1K+ leaders here: https://saturdaysd.gr8.com

Just like in the NFL, every day at work is a game day! 🏈 Here's how they stack up: 1. **The Team** - Every office has its star quarterback, the reliable wide receivers, the steadfast offensive line, and of course, the strategic coach. Together, we make those touchdown projects happen! 2. **The Playbook** - Our business strategies might as well be our playbook. Each play (or project) is carefully planned, executed, and sometimes audibled at the last minute. 3. **Training Camp** - Those professional development days? That's our training camp. We're building skills, strength, and strategy to win in the marketplace. 4. **The Fans** - Our clients and stakeholders are our cheering fans. We play to win their support and keep them on the edge of their seats with our innovative solutions. 5. **Halftime Shows** - Let's not forget the office parties and team-building events. They're the halftime shows that keep us entertained and bonded. 6. **Super Bowl** - That moment when you land a big client or complete a major project? That's our Super Bowl victory, and yes, we even have a victory dance! So, whether it's the NFL or the corporate world, it's all about teamwork, strategy, and scoring that next big win. Let's huddle up and make those goals a reality! 🏆

Very excited about the Chicago Sky’s two new draft picks. Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese. I expect both players to be foundational to the team’s culture overhaul and future success. New coach, new GM, new stars. Reading the reactions to the two selections, the consensus seems to be that the Sky grabbed sensational talent that will get better with time. You can’t coach height and you can’t coach heart. Both players arrive tall and fiercely competitive.   But you can coach and develop aspects of each athlete’s game. Both players will need to improve their shooting to thrive in the pro game. That will take time and commitment from the team’s coaches and the players themselves.    Which is sort of like how we work with clients. Companies with strong fundamentals that need help growing faster and better.

The Baltimore Ravens are the first to have their rookies report to Training Camp this year. Training Camps always have unique story lines as the team dynamics begin to form: Player Evaluations: Coaches assess the performance and fitness of both new recruits and veterans. Team Building: Players develop chemistry and cohesion, essential for on-field success. Rookie Integration: New players adjust to the professional level, learning from experienced teammates.. Building a solid foundation with these elements helps appreciate the effort and preparation that goes into each NFL season.

🏆Congrats to Gary Hardy for being a "Force for Good" Champion. Lance Miller recently sat down with GARY to ask a few questions. 1️⃣ HOW IS GARY CONNECTED WITH CHAMPIONS? Gary has been coming to KETTERING MORAINE OAKWOOD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INC Coffee with Champions since June 2023. He is a consistent attendee, has a growth mindset, and always brings a good perspective. 2️⃣ WHAT DOES GARY SAY ABOUT CHAMPIONS? He enjoys mentoring young business owners who are going through some of the things he went through when he first started out. Gary says, "It's a good peer group." 3️⃣ WHAT'S GARY'S DAY JOB? Gary is the CEO and owner of Brunners Lawn and Services, ltd, a commercial grounds maintenance company. They focus on lawn care, shrub maintenance, and mulching for homeowners associations and industrial property. Gary has been doing this for 13 years. According to Gary, the best part of the job is working with the people. He says their mission is this: "At our company, we serve our clients and our team with integrity, dependability, and respect." Their vision is to be "the best lawn and landscape company in southwest Ohio by serving our community." 4️⃣ GARY, WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? "I live by my mission of integrity, dependability, and respect. I live by those. There's no negotiation for being a man of integrity. I have to be a man of integrity. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I fail...but those three core values, that is me. What you see is what you get." 5️⃣ HOW CAN PEOPLE GET A HOLD OF GARY? Call 937-681-4859 or visit their website at https://buff.ly/4a5Crhd. Thanks, GARY, for being a FORCE FOR GOOD! #forceforgood #coffeewithchampions #personalgrowth #leadershiptraining

At 16, I left home to join League 2 football club, Mansfield Town F.C I learned more about management from those 2 years kicking a ball around a rectangle than any job I’ve ever had. I still use the skills I learned in my business today. And if you're looking to become a better manager... Here’s what they did differently: (1/3) The managers recognised great input. Most managers have a “Do what I say” attitude. But I noticed quickly that not only did our manager (and full staff) want to learn, they actively encouraged feedback. Asking questions like: ”How do you think we could improve” ”What do you think could be better” And often mentioning they didn’t have all the answers. This cultivated a culture of learning and building together. And it worked. ___ (2/3) They demanded perfection. Turn up to training looking like you’ve rolled out of bed? ↳ Enjoy getting sent back to the dorms. Not that bothered about going 100% in training daily? ↳ Enjoy never touching the starting 11. Want to show up lazy and sluggish? ↳ Enjoy sitting on the bench this weekend. Perfection and maximum effort wasn’t just demanded... Anything less was almost seen as an insult. This cultivated an environment of high standards I haven’t seen since. ___ (3/3) They managed each team member differently. Most managers have a blanket template: ”We do X, Y or Z and that’s how it is” But at Mansfield, our management team knew we were individuals. They knew: - Who they could really dig into. - Who they needed to put an arm around. And what got the best out of each team member. This allowed them to not only get the best out of everyone. But for us all to connect and build relationships with management. Putting us all on the same page. ___ Under that management team, we won back-to-back league titles. And yeah I got to witness great management. But the lesson I took away was this: The best managers you meet are not always in business. They can be anywhere, at any time, and in any industry. You just have to be willing and ready to learn from them.

🔴Three pivotal lessons the NFL taught me about people:🔴 ✅Lesson one: People yearn to be valued. 🏈 In the NFL, locker room grumbling wasn’t so much about the pay or contracts (seriously). It was players feeling undervalued, unheard, and their feedback didn't matter. This reminds me that people look to be acknowledged and feel their voices are heard regardless of their field. ✅Lesson two: We all seek a sense of belonging. 👥 Being part of the Ravens, a top-tier team, they displayed this. Whenever we had players join from other teams whose culture wasn't so great, they often commented, “I finally feel part of a team; this is something special.” That experience is a reminder to me that whether it’s sports teams, sororities, fraternities, or any group, we all yearn to belong. ✅Lesson three: Provide the tools for success. 🛠️ The best coaches I’ve worked with always asked, “Have we given the players all they need to succeed?” If a player was underperforming, that typically was the first question. They understood that for a player to be successful, they had to have the right resources and support to reach their full potential. These are the key insights from my NFL journey. What about you? What life lessons have you learned from your experiences?

👀👀CONSTRUCTION SUPERHERO SIGHTING!!!👀👀 It is SUPER common that we kick new workers off site in just a few hours if they don't "make the cut." Construction leadership commonly will order five workers when they only need 1 or two and discard the rest before lunch. Field leadership rarely takes any time to understand the strengths or obstacles of their team before discarding them like trash. At Arcade Wayfinding, we have a saying that is "we don't grow up, we just get bigger." We are the same kids we always were. We're not okay with discarding a child for a poor performance, but when they turn 18, a switch is flipped in our society from "special" to "disposable." A core tennat at Arcade is to ACTUALLY get to know your new hires and see what they are capable of doing. It may shock you! Recent Arcade grad, Kris Kent of Cochran, Inc heard this message loud and clear. Keep up the great work, Kris! We're here should you ever need us. Want to get involved in our work to change the industry? Our July 29th cohorts are filling now for office and field leaders right now! (EPIC photo cred: Ben Bender!) #construction #leadership #training #changethegame Logan McMurray, Elijah Kirkman, Zach G., Zaldy Abad, Mark VanWell

Are you a crowd follower? I was saddened to read about the Halloween parade in Dublin that brought thousands onto the streets – only to discover that it was a hoax.  Let me be clear; I wasn’t saddened that the event didn’t happen, but that people were so gullible as to be led by social media and attracted by such froth, nonsense and darkness dressing itself up as “fun”. Today more than ever, we need a generation that is as “wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.” This issue isn’t just about being taken in by fake advertising campaigns, but it goes to the heart of life-issues – such as who to follow and what to believe in. This doesn’t just affect individuals but businesses too, since whilst a business leader may make wise decisions, it is equally important that s/he ensures that their employees aren’t following the crowd down a dead-end cul-de-sac. What do you do to impart wisdom to those under your leadership?