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I do a lot of management training each year for the Circle K Corporation, a national chain of convenience stores. Among the topics we address in our seminars is the retention of quality employees—a real challenge to managers when you consider the pay scale in the service industry. During these discussions, I ask the participants, "What has caused you to stay long enough to become a manager?" Some time back a new manager took the question and slowly, with her voice almost breaking, said, "It was a $19 baseball glove."
我每年都為全國連鎖便利店索克公司做大量的管理培訓。在經營管理研習會上，我們發言的題目中包括如何留住高素質的員工--考慮到服務業的薪工標準，這對經理們是一項巨大的考驗。在這些討論中，我問與會者：“是什么使你們在公司留了下來，并當上了經理？”過了一會兒，一名新經理接過問題，慢慢地、用悲傷的聲音說道：“是因為一副十九美元的棒球手套。”
Cynthia told the group that she originally took a Circle K clerk job as an interim position while she looked for something better. On her second or third day behind the counter, she received a phone call from her nine-year-old son, Jessie. He needed a baseball glove for Little League. She explained that as a single mother, money was very tight, and her first check would have to go for paying bills. Perhaps she could buy his baseball glove with her second or third check.
辛西婭告訴大家，她最初來索克做店員工作只是臨時性的，同時她還在尋找更好的機會。就在站在柜臺后的兩三天，她接到了九歲兒子杰西的電話--孩子參加兒童棒球聯盟需要一副棒球手套。她解釋道，自己是個單身母親，手頭錢緊，第一個月的薪水要用來償付賬單。也許她只能用第二個月或第三個月的支票來給兒子買棒球手套了。
When Cynthia arrived for work the next morning, Patricia, the store manager, asked her to come to the small room in back of the store that served as an office. Cynthia wondered if she had done something wrong or left some part of her job incomplete from the day before. She was concerned and confused.
第二天早晨辛西婭到班上后，店鋪經理帕特麗夏把她叫到了店后一間用做辦公室的小屋。辛西婭以為她做錯了什么，或是前一天有什么工作沒有完成。她很擔心，也很納悶。
Patricia handed her a box. "I overheard you talking to your son yesterday," she said, "and I know that it is hard to explain things to kids. This is a baseball glove for Jessie because he may not understand how important he is, even though you have to pay bills before you can buy gloves. You know we can't pay good people like you as much as we would like to; but we do care, and I want you to know you are important to us."
帕特麗夏遞給她一個盒子，說道：“昨天我偶然聽到你和你兒子的談話。我知道有些事情很難對小孩子解釋。這是給杰西的棒球手套，因為他也許不會理解自己對你有多么重要，盡管你只能先付賬單，后買棒球手套。你要知道，我們雖然無法付給像你這樣好的員工更高的薪水，但是我們真的很關心你，也想讓你知道你對我們有多重要。”
The thoughtfulness, empathy and love of this convenience store manager demonstrates vividly that people remember more how much an employer cares than how much the employer pays. An important lesson for the price of a Little League baseball glove.
這家便利店經理所表現出來的周到、體貼和愛心生動地說明，比起雇主所付的薪水，人們記憶更深的是他們的關心。這十九元錢的兒童棒球聯盟手套，是多么重要的一課啊！
