Category Archives: Core Values

Here at JustBats we live out our core values every day that help us continue to be successful!

Core Value: Embrace Innovation

Posted on by
Reply

What’s innovation mean? Innovation is the action or process of innovating. What’s innovating mean? Innovating means to make changes in something established, by introducing new methods, ideas, or products. Now we are getting somewhere. What does innovation mean to us at JustBats.com and how to we go about quantifying our innovation decisions? Sometimes, innovation actually starts out with, “wouldn’t it be cool if we could…….,” but most of the time there’s a process JustBats.com uses.

Innovation means to JustBats.com a mixture of planning, research, and trial and error. That’s our process. JustBats.com performs detailed planning to make sure growth is managed properly, but last year, JustBats.com hit some limits. For example, the search on JustBats.com was good, but under load it slowed down. The search needed to be less affected by load, so the team found a scalable solution that exceeded our expectations. If you ask the programming team, they had lots of trial and error getting the new search index online, but their efforts can be seen when you use JustBats.com and search for Baseball Bats or Softball Bats. It’s very fast. Google-fast. That was by no accident.

In quantifying innovation, I like to start with clarifying the desired result(s). The clearer this is, the easier the innovation will be to implement.  In taking something that does not exist, to something that does, requires lots of questions. Asking the questions means we care about the result(s). There’s no perfect one-size-fits-all innovation-cycle for every company, but JustBats.com has setup many ways to listen to our customers/employees and is making sure the technology supports its primary aim of making customers for life.

Doing quality assurance checks on the mobile platforms for JustBats.com.

Core Value: Focus on Results, Not Work

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve always felt that the times when I tend to focus more on work, I usually end up disappointed with the final result of my efforts.  Its easy to lose sight of what I actually am working to accomplish when I put my focus on the amount of work that I may be putting into a project.  This is extremely problematic, especially in a creative field, because then my creativity suffers and the quality of my work begins to decrease.  This is why I choose to focus on the results of my labor instead of work itself.  When I have a clear vision of what I am working for, I am more creative, timely, and satisfied with my final product.

Why does this matter? All of us here at JustBats.com are completely focused on providing our customers with the largest selection of bats and giving them the best experience possible while they are shopping on our site.  The goal of all of our hard work, from getting products in from our vendors to shipping them out to our customers is to provide you with the best customer service possible.  We remain solely focused on improving the experience of our customers, regardless of how much work that may take.

Core Value: Create a Healthy Work Environment

Posted on by
1

Progress is something that I have been struggling with lately, and I have found that it is not just me; everyone struggles with progress due to the never ending puzzle that is life. Life can sometimes feel daunting, but as humans we strive to solve our problems. Some people have a variety of problems on any given day, while others solve the same types of problems five days a week. Either way our bodies are being attacked by the stressors of this world. Luckily, by design humans have conditioned themselves to be extremely resilient, we plug on day after day hopefully getting the opportunity to enjoy the time we have with our loved ones.

With all of that said, I have to mention the fact that working in an environment where health is held in a high regard is so refreshing and has definitely been a blessing in my life. Health is “an ever changing, dynamic condition, including physical, social, emotional, intellectual, vocational, spiritual, cultural, and environmental dimensions”. This is the definition I reference when I mention the health of humans. Health cannot be defined as one thing because it means something different to everyone.   I am starting to think that in a given population, creating a healthy workplace may just mean creating a place that is open to diversity and different ways of thinking.  Also creating a healthy workplace is about respecting ourselves as well as the science of biology. With all due respect to our younger generation who has not yet experienced the side effects of aging, not everyone in the world can depend on their age or genetic make-up to maintain a balanced level of health. For some, having extra motivation or aid in modifying their lifestyles to be healthier, and having the resources to improve their health at work is a major relief.

There are systems that have been created to increase health in the most incremental and effective ways; it is biology in its most simple state. Implementing simple ways to maximize the general health of a workplace can only be good for business.  It just so happens that, as humans, when we progress to higher levels of bodily fitness, some of the side effects are more positive attitudes, lower levels of stress, and higher levels of productivity. Sounds good right? It’s this positivity and productivity that is the basis behind why employers find investing in a healthier work environment beneficial.   In the library at JustBats.com, you will find Law of Attraction; a self help book by Michael J. Losier. The following passage from Losier’s book gives a little insight into why positivity is key to solving problems:

“It’s important to understand that the Law of Attraction is already existing in your life whether you understand it or not, whether you like it or not or whether you believe it or not.  If you like what you are observing, then celebrate it, and in your celebration you will get more of it.  If you don’t like what you are getting then it is time to tap into the Law of Attraction more deliberately so you can stop attracting what you don’t want and more of what you do.”  Positivity is a powerful thing, it may not always be tangible but it is infectious, for this I am thankful.

Working in a well balanced healthy work place is not something everyone has experienced. I grew up in a single parent household. My mom worked long hours and carted my sisters and I around town to make sure that we got to softball and soccer tournaments, dance recitals, and 4H meetings , for the sole purpose of keeping  busy and out of trouble.  She always wanted for us to not hate the careers we chose to pursue in our lives. She would always talk about how much her job drove her crazy, but she couldn’t get out of it because she had responsibilities. She wanted more for us.  JustBats.com has been a saving grace for me because I don’t hate coming here. I actually enjoy the people I work with, and I have all that I need at my fingertips, so I want to celebrate that. Naturally, I am now thinking about what is next for me in life. What is refreshing about a healthy work environment is that it is the stepping stone of progression and positivity, but it is up to the individual to open themselves to the endless possibilities.

Core Value: Build a Fun and Trusted Environment

Posted on by
Reply

There are eleven core values that we hold true at our company. One of those values is to “Build a Fun and Trusted Environment”, and here at Pro Athlete, we definitely know how to have some fun. Our facility is like no other. There is a racquetball court and swimming pool just around the corner of my office, we have a game room with numerous gaming systems and even some classic arcade games, and we also have a fitness center and cardio room to workout. There is no doubt in my mind why we have been nominated for the past two years in a row as one of the best places to work in Kansas City, Missouri.  Now, of course, with all this ability to have some fun and enjoyment, there is a sense of trust given to each individual not to abuse these awesome perks. There is an understanding that if all this is being offered, that the employees will work hard and get their job done, and of course, that is exactly what we do!