04/11/2024

Do the Little Things That Matter

Small changes can have a big impact on employees

“He met with every player, wanting to find out how the franchise could do a better job of supporting them, and he ended up doing far more listening than talking. The feedback from players convinced him that changes were needed.”

The "he" in this paragraph, penned by Detroit Free Press writers Evan Petzold and Jeff Seidel, is Scott Harris, the president of baseball operations at the Detroit Tigers. Harris, though still in his late 30s, came to the Tigers with an impressive pedigree; he served in an executive capacity with the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. In the nearly year and a half Harris has held this position with the Tigers, he has been a cross between a sponge and an executive. A sponge is soaking up information — an executive in making decisions.

And decisions need to be made. Owner Chris Illitch hired Harris to make some changes. And they were necessary. The Tigers have not won a World Series since 1984 and have not been in a Series in over a decade. In the 2020s, they have had a win percentage under .500.

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