Old School, New School or Hybrid

Matt Talarico, is a coordinator for the New York Yankees. He is an industry leader in base running.  Years of studying the craft of stealing bases has led Matt to a system that has produced results.  There are three styles in his system: Old School, New School and Hybrid.
 
Old School: The old-school system was developed from years of studying baseball’s great base stealers: Ricky Henderson, Vince Coleman, Lou Brock and Tim Raines – just to name a few.  The old-school technique relies on getting a standard lead, getting a good jump and using your speed to steal bases.  This method has been effective and has produced prolific results.
 
New School: The new-school system is based on momentum.  The runner is asked to start with a smaller lead and quietly extend their lead as the pitcher releases the ball.  “Tally” uses the reference of a parked car at a stop light vs. a car that has momentum as it approaches the light.  The car that has momentum is able to get a better start than its fixed counterpart.  This approach is different and can seem risky to those who teach only the old-school technique.
 
Hybrid: Matt’s hybrid system blends the two approaches to make the most effective base stealer.  The idea is to put continuous pressure on the defense.  By paying respect to history while also developing other techniques, the base runner is able to be a constant threat.
 
Old School vs. New School:
The present state of baseball is amazing.  For years, baseball relied on non-objective information when teaching and evaluating talent.  “He really hits it hard.”  “His fastball gets on you.”  “That is a sharp breaking ball.”  Now, measures such as exit velocity and spin rate can help quantify these opinions.  Many things are being challenged from the best way to optimize the batting order to defensive positioning (aka “The Shift”).   
 
The stereotypical old-school coach feels threatened by these measures.  People are trying to “reinvent the game” they will say.  Some even feel the game is being ruined by data and technology.
 
On the other end of the spectrum is the baseball person that relies solely on new-school approaches.  This person either disregards or doesn’t respect the lessons and history of the game.  They believe that data and technology are much more important than the human element.
 
Hybrid:
I believe the elite coach or baseball administrator of the future is the person who understands the history.  They possess the social agility to connect with people from all edges of the earth. The elite coach will be curious and constantly seeking ways to improve the organization’s performance, while also being acutely aware that the game is played by humans.  This person has an understanding that the world is constantly evolving.  To stay the same is impossible, you’ll either adapt or fall behind.
 
The future elite coach will be a beautiful compliment of old school and new school philosophies.
 
Real World Application:
As I travel and connect with organizations, one of the biggest challenges I witness is the Old School vs. New School approach.  The more seasoned managers, partners and employees tend to value: hard work, dressing professionally, phone conversations over email or text, structured compensation packages, and long hours.  The Old School was taught and rewarded for this type of work ethic.  They believe everyone should put forth time and effort.
 
The folks entering the workforce tend to have a different approach.  Many prefer more of a work/life balance, flexible hours, incentive based pay and promotion structure, and they communicate via technology (text, email, twitter).  The New School workforce pushes the envelope and they want to find the quickest and most efficient way to get a job done.
 
The Competitive Advantage:
If you or your organization is experiencing this rub, you are far from alone.  While most organizations spend time complaining about the issue it’s time to challenge yourself to be different.  The old school values will always have a place in winning organizations. 
 
On the other hand, you can’t “hack” the system; the work needs to be done.  Standards need maintained with high level accountability. With that being said, the new school approach will keep your organization moving forward.  The hunger to learn new data points and technology can be critical.
 
Just like in baseball, the elite leader of the future will pay homage to the past while seeking new and better ways of doing business or leading a classroom.  They will have the ability to be a connector; being able to relate and pull together the unique skills of a diverse workforce.
 
Leadership Challenge:
Deep self-evaluation is critical.  Before we can lead others, we need to understand our beliefs and biases.  Take a moment and reflect on these questions:

1.  Is your default setting more Old School or New School?
2.  If you’re Old School, how can you become more open to change and technology?  What are you potentially missing out on?
3.  If you are New School, what can you learn from the history of your industry?  How are you  limiting your growth potential?
4.  In what ways can you connect those you lead who have different default settings?    Reimagine ways to bring folks together for the organization.
5.  Are you surrounding yourself with people who share the same default setting?

To purchase Matt Talarico’s book, check out his website here: www.stealbases.com. Or, to chat about my personal philosophy, feel free to reach out.