As summer arrives, not only does it bring the promise of warm weather, but it also brings on baseball season. Of course, here in St. Louis it is easy to know that Cardinal season has arrived. Every year, as baseball makes the headlines, I recall back to the days when I played ball. Lacking in ability, I tried to make it up by working hard at the game. As I worked on my hitting, I can still vividly remember many a baseball manager saying, “Welsch, keep your eye on the ball.” Easy for them to say, and, at least for me, it wasn’t always that easy to do. I did find that when I did keep my eye on the ball, I accomplished better results. Babe Ruth and Roger Maris’ records were safe, but at least I made contact.
As I think of us in our businesses, I remember back to that admonishment to keep my eye on the ball. As small business people, it can be very easy to take our eyes off the ball and lose sight of what we are really trying to accomplish. The day-to-day issues we must face often require immediate attention, and we get so busy solving those everyday issues that we don’t have the time to remember to keep our eyes on the ball or the bigger picture, as a whole.