“If that was a cheeseburger you woulda had it”

Growing up my father, Ron Sanders, coached several of my sports teams. He used this line in reference to a ground ball (baseball) which I didn't make a play on or a throw from the quarterback I didn't catch (football).  Insinuating that if the object going by been a yummy cheeseburger I would've put forth a little more effort to make the play.

He used this style of feedback when you had been coached on the fundamentals, you were in the right place to make the play, but your lack of effort prevented you from getting the job done.

Drawing parallels to the business world...How many times do we find ourselves in a hindsight situation saying “gosh.. I/we should have seen that”

In sports, we rely on our teammates and the drills we work on in practice to accomplish the desired outcome in a game. The timing of a throw from a Quarterback to his Wide Receiver. The interplay between a Shortstop and Second Basemen to execute a double play. These things don't just happen. They are fine tuned over days/weeks/months of practice.

In business, we rely on working relationships, established processes, and the shared desire to achieve a goal. Just like in sports, these don't operate at full throttle without practice and refinement.

#DeskJockeyChallenge: Become a Peyton Manning to your co-worker's Reggie Wayne, a Robinson Cano to their Derek Jeter.

If you have been coached on the fundamentals, are in the right place, then don't let a lack of effort stop you from getting the job done.