The Tie Goes to The Runner

By: Michael Jordan

The “tie goes to the runner” is a popular but inaccurate interpretation of the baseball rule book.  The claim is that a batter/runner who arrives on base at the exact same time as the ball is safe.  Hard core fans and purists (I’m not sure there is a distinction) will tell you that in baseball, either the throw beats the runner or it doesn’t. There is no commonly acceptable solution to prevent what would surely be an understandable grievance by either team. 

That said, I’m of the opinion that the saying does, however, accurately describe the importance of relationships in business.  This certainly has wide reaching application but I immediately think of service and sales professionals in particular.  Let me explain.

What I’m referring to of course is the idea that decision makers sometimes rely on the benefit of the doubt. It’s about a concession that a person, service or solution must be regarded as correct or justified, if the contrary has not been proven. In other words, when left with no indistinguishable alternative, people would rather forsake the unknown for what they know and can relate to.  The familiar is always presumed to be “safe”.

I’ve done no in-depth research on this but sticking with the baseball parallel, I would argue the suggestion might be that baseball fans perceive the runner as being typically at a disadvantage.  Most infield plays, for example, are routine and a professional infielder should be able to throw out the runner.  Yet, some plays require enough degree of difficulty that it might give the runner the split second needed to beat the throw.   Then it just boils down to speed and high effort.  In all of those close plays you can be assured the runner hustled from point A through point B even when they were unsure of the outcome.  Maybe they were conditioned to believe that consistency of high effort over time increased their odds of success.   No matter, the basic premise is that judgement favors the “runner” when it could have just as easily gone to the fielder.

So why give the runner priority? Why is it generally accepted that he or she deserves to be “safe” if the play is close?  More importantly, how can we put ourselves in the position of the runner so that we get the benefit of the doubt when things are close?  In business, the direct translation of that question is how do we build good faith and will? 

“When the trust is high, you get the trust dividend. Investors invest in brands people trust. Consumers buy more from companies they trust, they spend more with companies they trust, they recommend companies they trust, and they give companies they trust the benefit of the doubt when things go wrong.” - Stephen Covey

Developing trust takes systematic discipline balanced with the art of relationship building.  Here are 5 areas to focus on before you can earn “the benefit of the doubt”:

1.    Empathy

This is a degree of importance greater than the following four items on this list combined. There has to be a commitment to understanding the other person’s perspective.  This requires listening skills.

2.    Availability

Be present, be responsive. People want to rely on their strategic partners when they need it the most. Communication is key.

3.    Be different

Hand written notes still go a long way. Be creative. Sometimes it’s the simple things that standout in our increasingly demanding days.

 4.    Relevance

Work your way up the value stack. Be a resource to clients and or internal stakeholders.  Be an expert at your craft but continue to develop new skills and intellectual capital.

5.    Know what matters

People and businesses are of course all different.  Find out what makes them unique.  Find out what they care about. Being aware of goals and priorities is critical to effective relationship building.  Technology can help.  Collect relevant data and create a digital avatar of sorts.

Maybe it’s a systematic review or an unforeseen disruption but sometimes partnerships get tested.  In business, there are situations when a client, prospect, or relevant decision maker has to evaluate the best fit among all options that may meet their need(s).  Some of those times there is no clear best fit.  Those are the very moments that reward the professional with consistency of quality and effort over time.  After all, the tie goes to the runner.