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Always Punch Above Your Weight

Punching below your weight just makes you look like a foolish bully!

It’s tempting for companies to smack the little guys around. After all, it’s easier to bump off some new startup by spreading FUD than it is to challenge the top dog in your industry! But easy pickings should be avoided, especially when it comes to online communication and social media: It’s far easier for a company to lose mindshare by calling attention to the little guys than it is to gain anything from even the most justifiable argument. That’s why I advise my clients always to punch above their weight.

Pick a Fair Fight

It’s hard to pick the World Series winner before the Major League Baseball season, and World Cup “Futbol” is similarly competitive, but most fields of battle feature mismatched foes. Consider the University of Connecticut’s amazing “Lady Huskies” basketball team. They just won their 89th straight game, an amazing winning streak. Yet commentators were quick to downplay their success, claiming women’s college basketball just isn’t as competitive as other sports.

Spectators love a “David”, and schadenfreude always clouds a “Goliath”. Who wants to see Michael Shumacher drive another Ferrari to victory? It’s much more fun to see him fail to turn in a top lap, let alone stand on the podium! Seeing the Red Sox knock off the hated Yankees after losing the first three games in the 2004 ALCS was perhaps more important to fans than the two World Series victories that followed.

Social Media Lessons

I am always amused when an industry titan decides to go toe-to-toe with a tiny upstart. Sure, they often win these fights. But simply by taking up the challenge they have validated the whippersnapper’s cause, who often leverages the losing fight in the ensuing PR blitz. David and Goliath is a natural news story, after all!

This is even more true when it comes to companies responding to negative coverage online. Often, an up-and-coming blogger or analyst will intentionally pick a fight to get attention. When the victim punches back, they drag the little guy into the spotlight.

Always Punch Above Your Weight

This is an admirable tactic, and the lesson works in both directions:

  1. Always focus ahead and take on a foe larger than you
  2. Ignore everyone smaller than you – anything you say or do will weaken your position

When it comes to social media, companies should never respond in anger. It’s a rare blogger indeed who is bigger than the companies they cover! Companies should ignore the specific attack and respond with a reaffirmation of their actual value. And shooting the messenger just looks petty!

Keep this in mind the next time you see an angry response to a blogger or analyst!

Image credit: “Boxing Ring Santa Cruz IMS Academy” by KoKo Krispy

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9 Business Lessons I Learned From Baseball

Baseball may seem inscrutable to the uninitiated, but it’s like no other sport to us true believers. And, as I’ve told my little-leaguer son on many occasions, baseball can teach a whole raft of lessons (and vice versa). I guess nine innings gives everyone a chance to ponder life, so I decided to jot down my own list of nine business lessons I learned from baseball.

Adjust to the ground rules wherever you play

Newcomers to baseball are always shocked to learn that each ballpark has its own local rules, right down to the dimensions of the outfield. Once they become familiar with the game, they are similarly amazed to see how a few rule changes alters the style of play between the American and National Leagues. Life is like that, though. Each of my customers has different expectations, and what is fine for one might be off limits for another. It’s up to each of us to adjust to the local style and make the most of it.

Roll with the bad calls

As enforcement of sporting rules and regulations becomes increasingly high-tech, baseball stands with international football as stalwart believers in the on-the-field call. Sometimes you get away with mischief; sometimes the call goes against you. You can argue and holler, but that’s going to get you ejected in short order. The best strategy is to roll with the bad calls and move on with the game.

Everything can change in a moment

Which brings us to lesson number 2: The next play can change everything. Daniel Nava hit a grand slam on the first major league pitch he saw. The Red Sox got creamed by the arch-rival Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship and were three outs away from elimination when the winds shifted. Eight straight wins later they were holding the World Series trophy for the first time since 1918. It’s important to remain faithful to the cause and believe you can win. Resurrection is possible if you make the right plays. Just ask Steve Jobs and the rest at Apple!

Wait for your pitch


Patience at the plate is a singular virtue for baseball success. It’s tempting to swing at everything that comes your way, hoping to connect with something, but it’s wiser to check your swing. Hitting in baseball is a psychological exercise, with the pitcher (and catcher) trying to guess what the batter will swing on. There are plenty of similar situations in life; not all opportunities are equal. Give each a good look, back out when you need to, but be ready to swing when something comes right down the middle!

Follow through – there’s a penalty for a balk

Pitching a baseball is all about mechanics – controlling the body and completing the full pitching motion is critical. There’s even a penalty for a “balk”, or stopping part way through. Many have said that life is all about showing up, and business is like this too. Either step aside and regroup before you start or complete what you have committed to.

It’s a long season – give it time, trade up, then play what you have

Managers and coaches are like poker players, pondering what they have and considering their options. The regular major league baseball season includes 162 games and stretches across half the year, allowing plenty of time for players and teams to overcome a slump or injury. General managers have four months to tweak their lineup, trading and dealing to get a better team. But the coaching staff has to make the team work no matter what they have. I see the same dynamic playing out in business, with the board swapping executives in and out while the staff tries to get their work done. But there comes a time when the board must back off and let their team play.

Superstars are fun to watch, but it takes a team to win

It’s rare for a baseball player to appear in every game, and even superstar pitchers can only start once or twice a week. Baseball requires a reliable team on the field, in the dugout and bullpen, and in the back office. The greatest mistake a manager can make is spending too much on a just few great pitchers or sluggers and hoping their brilliant play can make up for everyone else. A wiser choice is to put together a whole staff of under-valued over-achievers who want to play and win.

You have to adjust your play as the game progresses

One of the biggest changes in the modern game of baseball is the increasing use of specialist relief pitchers. Managers like Tony La Russa staffed their bullpen with specialists for each situation and inning, noting that the requirements changed as the game progressed. There is some controversy about over-specialization, but adaptability to changing situations is certainly a formula for success. The game changes as time passes and the final inning nears, and a good manager will shift his team to maximize success.

Even the best strike out sometimes

This is the most important lesson of all. Even the best batters strike out half the time, and even the best teams in history lost a quarter or more of their games. Baseball will never see a no-loss season like the 2007 Patriots, and neither will life. We must work hard, play to win, and dust ourselves off and try again when we lose.