I bought tickets for the Colorado Rockies and plan to take my nephews to a baseball game tonight. Hot dogs and peanuts and baseball—count on Uncle Dave for a good time. I enjoy the intricacies of baseball, a game I’ve followed my entire life. One pre-internet summer in Eastern Europe I continually searched for discarded copies of the International Herald Tribune to check the major league standings.

Every good team of any type pays attention to its chemistry. Strong teammates get along, help each other improve, and spur better performance. Lots of disagreements and challenges arise, but the work of the group pulls the team through. Success follows team cohesion.

But not always. Some baseball players gain a reputation for being a problem in the clubhouse. They might be argumentative, or cutting, or lazy. This guy plays the game well, otherwise he’d be shown the door, but he focuses only on himself.

A wise manager applies this proverb to the situation: Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended. The only solution to the problem in the clubhouse is to make the problem go away.

The mocker leaves, the air’s cleaner, and the game suddenly gets easier. It’s enjoyable to go to take the field again. Have you ever worked with someone like this? I have a handful of times, and each time they left I sighed in relief.

The opposite is also true. Multiple players extend their careers (including lucrative financial incentives) because they’re known as a positive influence in the clubhouse, especially around younger players. Their presence, even if they rarely play, builds an outstanding team.

Fortunately in my work I receive annual performance reviews. I pay attention with this idea in mind—am I a problem or a help in the clubhouse?

Proverbs 22:10 in reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Lesly Juarez