Yogi Berra, the Hall of Fame player for the New York Yankees, World War II hero, commercial pitchman and everyman philosopher, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 90. The news brought great sadness to those who knew Mr. Berra and countless others who never met him, but felt as though they knew him anyway.
Many who expressed sadness at his passing were born too late to see Mr. Berra play the game he clearly loved. As a player, he won 10 World Series titles, a record that will likely never be matched.
Some may have known him as a coach and a manager for his beloved Yankees as well as the Mets and Astros. Others may have seen him in commercials for brands ranging from Yoo-Hoo to Aflac.
But almost all who knew of Mr. Berra did so as a result of his oft-quoted Yogi-isms, profound observations spoken in a language that was distinctly his own. Some of those have relevance for retailers and the business of retailing. Here are a few of my favorites.
1. "No one goes there nowadays, it's too crowded." This always makes me think of Trader Joe's, which is known for busy stores and woefully inadequate parking. I can personally attest to having abandoned shopping trips to the local store after having made several trips around the lot without finding a place to park.
2. "It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much." Listening is the key to communication in any organization.
3. "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there." A strategic plan communicated clearly throughout the organization is fundamental to achieving successful outcomes.
4. "Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours." Retailing is fundamentally a people business. Those that demonstrate a sincere interest in the needs of their customers and associates will receive as much or more in return.
5. "If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be." This quote always reminds me of Voltaire's, "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Retail organizations should be focused on achieving excellence, but sometimes good is really good enough.
6. "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." Management needs to trust in the plan and its people. Don't fear making mistakes. Go for it.