Clubhouse rules

I've written before about the lessons that other managers can learn from the Boston Red Sox (see "Division-leading employee management"). In today's Boston Globe Magazine, Charles P. Pierce profiles Terry Francona, the most successful manager in the history of the Red Sox. One of the recurring themes in the piece is how Francona strives to maintain an atmosphere of normality in the clubhouse: not to get too up after wins, not to get too down after losses.

Here's the money quote, which has a strong message for managers in any industry:

“That’s a big part of it,” Francona admits. “I want there to be an atmosphere where they want to show up every day and do the right thing. We can have rules out the [expletive], but if they want to do the right thing, we’ll be a better team. It’s about consistency. If they win the other night or if they don’t, they don’t need to come in here and see me either bouncing off the walls or dragging my tail. It doesn’t work. It’s got to be the same every day."

Too many managers in today's workforce seem to think that you need to have "rules out the [expletive]." Rules about sick days, rules about social media, rules about bereavement leave. Forget all that. As with the Red Sox, it's better to create "an atmosphere where they want to show up every day and do the right thing."

What do you think? Does your workplace need rules out the [expletive]? Or do you try to create a certain atmosphere? Sound off in the comments.

Comments

[Jim]

Jay, I would love to agree with this article but most workplaces are far different from baseball teams and the rules for athletes earning millions are a little different than for hourly workers. With respect to punctuality, attendance, time off, overtime, breaks, etc. you have to have rules. Many of these rules are mandated by law. Indeed, every lawyer I know recommends carefully written employee manuals with the rules spelled out. I would agree that rules should be flexible and applied carefully, but organizations can't run without rules and managers who like to say they don't have them are kidding themselves. Based on what I read in the media about how many pro-athelets behave, it appears that pro ball clubs need to have more rule enforcement, not less!

[Jeff Hupert]

Francona is obviously right about a 25 person baseball roster of professionals, but more rules may be necessary for any larger organization. Two reasons: employee morale requires that employees perceive they are being treated "fairly". This often translates into a belief that everyone should be treated "equally". Rules are a way of enforcing a uniformity of decisions by management, even if they do not necessarily make sense in a given instance. (The same is often true of the law.) The second reason, as you know, is that the law itself may require uniform treatment in some cases.

[Kate]

Jay - I love the ideas you bring up! Employers should hire good people that fit their work cultures, and hold employees responsible for doing good work and being good employees.

[server support company]

I agree with you Kate. People that are competitive in the work and those who see their work not as a task to finish but one of the enjoyment of their life.