Are you a 5-Tool Player?
 

Brad Reeves
Divisional Loss Prevention Manager
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company


One of the ways I try to influence others is through analogies. Many of the analogies I use are sports related. For one, I grew up playing organized sports, which taught me many lessons I use to this day, but also I have found that many people can relate. Hopefully I can do that with this thought.

On the way home from work one day I was listening to my favorite sports talk radio station and the hosts of the show had an expert on discussing baseball. Particularly they were discussing the roster of my favorite team; who should stay, who they should trade and who they should try to sign on. They went on to discuss attributes of certain players and asking the expert to rate and advise on whether or not the team should pursue them. That’s when I heard something that got me thinking. The expert started to discuss what is known in the baseball world as “5 tool players” and the desire to have them on a team. The 5 tool theory describes the key areas desired for performance. “5 Tool” players are the most sought after in baseball. Now if you are unfamiliar with what a 5-tool player is, here it is in brief:
 
1-Hit for Power, 2-Hit for Average, 3-Fielding, 4-Throwing and 5-Running.

In baseball having a 5-tool player is a coach’s dream. These players make a manager’s job easy. They know they can rely on these players in every situation and inevitably end up winning championships.

So I thought of some of the teams that either I have been a part of or that I have lead. Who did I work with that was a 5-tool player? Who have I managed that was a 5-tool player? How can I find or develop a 5-tool player? Am I even a “5 tool player”? Now you might be thinking what do these “5 tools” I mentioned above have to do with our profession. This is where I ask that we get a little creative. The point is that we need to be multi-faceted in our profession. So in this case perhaps the “5 tools” are something else. One example could be:

1-Shrink, 2-Internals, 3-Externals, 4-Business Acumen and 5-Leadership

Again, this is just one example. Depending on what position you are in and within what industry, the “5 tools” would change. Being versatile is one of the keys to success, no matter what level we are at. For example, a Loss Prevention investigator who is only good at external apprehensions surely is valued, however a Loss Prevention investigator who is also good at internal investigations, can present at a monthly shrink meeting, drive Loss Prevention culture within his or her location and can assist his or her manager with shrink initiatives adds much more value to the organization. This applies to all of us.

So I pose a few questions. What are your “5 Tools”? They may be personal to you, or if you manage a team, perhaps they apply to them. Think of the teams you work on or with. Do your team members have “5 Tools”? Are you able to identify new candidates with “5 Tools”? Are you developing “5 Tool” players? Are you a “5 Tool” player?

If you are still not convinced, think of the people who get results within your industry, a valued team member or anyone you know who is successful. I guarantee they are a “5 tool” player.