Chicago Cubs: Why isn’t this young core playing to its potential?
By Jim Guzior
Chicago Cubs: Give them a report card
Let’s face it, if you are a professional – you are rated, graded or reviewed. That’s what professional organizations do for their employees – it’s called, “Performance Enhancement Counseling,” or a dozen other names around corporate America.
The Cubs players are employees and need to get counseling and a rating like any other professional. Those that go above and beyond are usually rewarded somehow (most of us like cash) and those that don’t perform get fired, traded or bargained. Why should these guys be any different?
Those of us who have spent hours upon hours learning or doing this stuff know that the process starts with performance planning, feedback, then goes to monitoring performance and ends with evaluating performance. The evaluation is essentially the player report card which will determine if a player will stay, be traded or bargained.
If the Cubs can get their players to perform to their potential via evaluation and performance measurement then not only will they be winning more with the current team they have; but will save a lot of money to use down the road when needed. This could mean bullpen upgrades or replacements for injured players. The key, as always, is getting the players to play to their potential – not just throwing money at perceived shortcomings.