Transitioning from Sports to Business: How Sportsmanship Translates to the Business
Recently, the business podcast which Magazine Jukebox presents, Biztainment Weekly, released an episode featuring the host and a special guest, Scott T. Janney and Linda Wawrzyniak, respectively. Linda, Chief Learning Officer for Major League Consulting, has been working with competitive baseball players to aid them in transitioning from sports to the world of business. For many years, players were simply not prepared to go from being an active member on their team to simply being an onlooker. Linda’s work is what makes that transition easier and assists those players in making some of their skills, learned from baseball, translate into succeeding in the corporate world.
Among other qualities, Linda specifically cites characteristics that she believes will take these players far and help them succeed, when applied correctly. “Domestic players, even amateur, you know, they go to college, they might get drafted in college, they might get drafted in high school even, and they play, if they’re lucky, till they get to the majors.” says Linda. “But, if they’re not, they have to pick up the pieces and figure out what they’re gonna do with their lives now. There are several things that I think translate for sure” Linda mentions a few traits, including the ability to work with a team, a strong work ethic, the willingness to take risks, and the desire to win, whatever that looks like for them. “In business, you have to have a desire to win.”
Throughout the episode, Linda spoke on how different players respond to different situations. Sometimes, the steady eddie who saves the day, other times, it’s the all star who makes it happen. In the same manner with those in business, not everyone runs at the same speed. Some people, like our very own Scott Janney, are equipped to sprint in business, so to speak, while others stick to a steady jog. Linda and her company work with players to understand how to understand what speed they operate at in order to communicate that to their teams and get the job done well. Sometimes, things happen and the rhythm isn’t perfect, but through communicating openly and working together, the rhythm can be recovered.
Through this interview, we got a clear view of what it looks like when people transition from one field to another (literally). It’s important to remember that this doesn’t only apply to sports either; there are many fields that are heavy in a particular discipline, and it translates directly to business. Finally, if you want to learn more about Major League Consulting, you can visit their website, majorleagueconsulting.com. You can also learn more about Linda on most major social media platforms under her name, Linda Wawrzyniak. You can also check out her book, Million Dollar Adjustments, on Amazon.