Derek Volk Inducted (CONT’D FROM PAGE 12)
we were tied 0-0 in the 6th inning. As we went to bat in the top of the 6th, I said to the girls, “We’re going to win this game. And you know how we are going to win? We’re going to win because are better bunters and better base runners. So, we are going to find a way to get a runner on base and then we are going to play small ball until some- one scores.” We scored 3 runs and shut them down in the bottom of the inning to win the championship. Big bonus- es, raises and awards are wonderful. But the quick text wishing someone well if they are out sick, the hand-written birthday cards and the hat you bought the Broncos fan on your business trip to Denver can often make a bigger impact than a bonus or promotion. People want to know you care about them as a person not just as an employee. Small ball matters. 6. Keep your eye on the ball: This one is pretty obvious. In the words of Bill Belichick, do your job. Know what you do, stay focused, and keep your eye on the ball. If you start looking around the stands for who you want to impress, you’ll miss the pitch coming right over the plate or the sale that is only a phone call away. Take your eye off the ball and I assure you that the fans or your customers won’t be impressed with what they see. 7. Know your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses : My coaches and I jumped at every chance we had had to
4. Equal and fair are not the same thing: I can’t tell you how many times, in business and on the softball field, someone has said, “That isn’t fair. So and so got to do to X so why can’t I?” When I was a kid and made that statement my father would say, “Life isn’t fair. Not everyone gets treated like Ted Williams.” As a softball coach I learned that I can treat everyone fairly without treating everyone equal- ly. Some players came and went, bouncing from team to team each season, while some were with me from U10 all the way to 18+. I coached some girls during the summer while they were in elementary school and was still coach- ing some of those same girls during their college summer breaks. So, do I have all the same exact rules for the girl who was on my team from age 9 to 19 as I do for the girl who just showed up that summer? Heck no. And does the Volk Packaging employee who has been with us for 25, 30 or even 40 years have to follow all the same rules as the employee who started 3 months ago? No way. Does that mean I am being unfair to the new employee? It does not. It is perfectly fine and very reasonable to treat everyone fairly without treating everyone equally. 5. Small ball matters: Everyone loves a home run and a no hitter, but games are often won on a sacrifice bunt or a timely stolen base (see Dave Roberts 2004). When my daughter Lilly was in the LL District Championship in 2010
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November 8, 2021
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