Last night Yankee Manager Aaron Boone got ejected, and it was great TV with the poor dugout getting beaten by a 34" Louisville Slugger, and over 2.5mm views on social media (below video for your viewing pleasure) in less than 24 hours. But this wasn't just entertainment, it was all sorts of education.
Aaron Boone's ejection, sticking up for his players and branding his team "SAVAGES" may prove to be a "defining moment" in the 2019 Yankees Season.
One thing that can't be argued about the Yankees (27 championships as proof) whether you love them or hate them:
They have a Culture of WINNING. And there is always something to be learned by building cultures. Let's start with one simple word: SAVAGE
Boone branding his players as savages, a word with unique meaning in the context of a winning team:
Craftsman. Perfectionist. Results oriented people. Professionals. Winners.
I'd say SAVAGES will be a rallying cry for the NY Yankees. It won't be long before 50,000 fans will be wearing a T-shirt with that proudly worn. Rallying cries matter.
Back to Culture.....
That hard to define, but very REAL element of an organization. The behaviors that are valued (or not). They way people interact with each other, and what the company values (and does not).
Every business has a culture. Special businesses believe there culture IS the business, and it's a competitive advantage.
So back to our world of Manufacturing and the Hardscaping contractors that we work with.
Late July across the northeast (and many parts of the country) brings heat, humidity and generally tough conditions for getting the job done. Installing outdoor living spaces in 95 degree, 80%+ humidity, YIKES! That's not for the faint of heart. Stay hydrated, or end up in the ER.
In Manufacturing and general contracting work, SAFETY is a major concern. One bad accident can hurt not just the person, but the business itself. Accidents happen, but many are preventable with people that are highly aware, smart procedures, and maybe most importantly, a CULTURE that prides itself on safety. One person gets hurt, we all get hurt. It needs to be put in the businesses DNA.
At PAVERART, we manufacture a product that is clearly not a "mass market" product. ART is in our name, and that by definition is not for everyone. We exist in the world of "outdoor living." We love the fact of PAVERART is a part of the outdoor living lifestyle, where people come together and create memories. When PAVERART brings a smile to the face of the people enjoying their time outside, it makes US smile!
But for the people we work with that make PAVERART come to life, like the Hardscapers that install it, they have it harder. They brave the 95 degrees, 80% humidity. I can almost guarantee they have their own version of a culture of winning. They high five each other at the end of the day when a job is done, and done well. They take pride in the fact that they have installed outdoor living spaces that will create memories for people for years to come.
We hear it in their voices when THEIR clients want that something special added to their spaces and they reach out to us trying to deliver that for THEIR customers.
We don't hear about heat, humidity and safety risk, but we know they exist all around them. There's a hashtag on social media that we follow:
The HARDSCAPE BROTHERHOOD delivers outdoor living spaces across the USA. They make a small business like PAVERART viable. We are lucky to call them clients. We've been lucky to work with a bunch over 16+ years across the USA. They are craftsman. Pros.
Dare we can consider them SAVAGES? I think so.
Stay cool. Stay Hydrated.
* The obligatory parental advisory for adult language