Story 1: Fly
We all must have seen a fly trapped in a room ! If it reaches a glass window it continues to flutter at the glass, trying to escape. It does not think there can be other openings in the room to escape!
Story 2 : Salesman
Once there was a sales man whose sales ranged between 80% to 95% of his budget. Disheartened with the results, he took an appointment with a marketing consultant, to know where he was wrong. He reached the consultant’s office at the appointed time. After entering the office he saw two doors, instead of a receptionist. One door was marked “SALES LESS THAN 100%” and the other door was marked “SALES MORE THAN 100%”. Since his average sale was less than 100%, he entered to the Ist door. After entering the room he found two more doors – one was marked “EARN INCENTIVES” and the other door was marked “NOT EARN INCENTIVES”. Since he did not earn incentive on regular basis, he entered the 2nd door. He again found two doors, one was marked “HAPPY WITH YOUR SELF” and the other was marked “NOT HAPPY WITH YOUR SELF”. Since he was not an achiever, he was not happy and so entered the 2nd door. And surprisingly on entering it he found himself on the same street where he had entered.
Morale of these two stories
If we continue to work with same attitude and with same approach, if our style of functioning remains the same, if we take same steps then we will meet the same fate. Similar actions again and again will lead to similar results, again and again. To get different or desired results : we have to bring about a change in our attitude, in our approach towards our customer, bring about a change in our style of functioning, thus we must open different doors.
Story 3: Bees and Flies
If you put an equal number of bees and flies in a glass bottle and keep the bottle horizontally with the open end away from the light, the bees will not be able to get out of the bottle while the flies will. The reason being, bees are quite smart and know that opening must be the place from which light is visible. They do not understand the glass and hence keep banging against it. However, the flies are quite ignorant of all this intellectual reasoning and therefore fly hither and thither and discover the opening quite by chance and fly off to freedom.
The bees' own intelligence is its' undoing.
Are there too many bees doing Strategy formulation in Companies and not enough flies?
"In times of transitions, the question itself is the answer"
Showing posts with label Paradox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paradox. Show all posts
Monday, April 14, 2008
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Life is Precious...than you think
Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so Often?
When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard.
Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.
Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat.
This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own
Church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day
At the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.
Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday,
A man he'd never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
"Hello, Jack." No smile.
"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and
Kids."
"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good.
"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once."
Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?" "I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct ." Ouch. This Was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.
"What'd you clock me at?"
"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"
"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
"Please, Jack, in the car"
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door.
Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the
Window.
The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad.
Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?
Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left.
There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two
Inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.
"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this
One going to cost?
Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?
Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it- a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them.
I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever
Hug her again.
A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now.
Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left."
"Bob"
Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head
Down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and
Hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.
Life is precious. Handle with care. This is an important message; please pass it along to your friends. Drive safely and carefully.
Remember, cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.
When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard.
Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand.
Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat.
This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own
Church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day
At the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.
Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday,
A man he'd never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
"Hello, Jack." No smile.
"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and
Kids."
"Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed uncertain. Good.
"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit -just this once."
Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?" "I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct ." Ouch. This Was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.
"What'd you clock me at?"
"Seventy. Would you sit back in your car please?"
"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
"Please, Jack, in the car"
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door.
Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the
Window.
The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad.
Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license?
Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again. A tap on the door jerked his head to the left.
There was Bob, a folded paper in hand Jack rolled down the window a mere two
Inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip.
"Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
Bob returned to his police car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this
One going to cost?
Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?
Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack, Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it- a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters, all three of them.
I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven before I can ever
Hug her again.
A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now.
Pray for me. And be careful, Jack, my son is all I have left."
"Bob"
Jack turned around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head
Down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and
Hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.
Life is precious. Handle with care. This is an important message; please pass it along to your friends. Drive safely and carefully.
Remember, cars are not the only things recalled by their maker.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Acres of Diamonds
One of the most interesting Americans who lived in the 19th century was a man by the name of Russell Herman Conwell. He was born in 1843 and lived until 1925. He was a lawyer for about fifteen years until he became a clergyman.
One day, a young man went to him and told him he wanted a college education but couldn't swing it financially. Dr. Conwell decided, at that moment, what his aim in life was, besides being a man of cloth - that is. He decided to build a university for unfortunate, but deserving, students. He did have a challenge, however. He would need a few million dollars to build the university. For Dr. Conwell, and anyone with real purpose in life, nothing could stand in the way of his goal.
Several years before this incident, Dr. Conwell was tremendously intrigued by a true story - with its ageless moral. The story was about a farmer who lived in Africa and through a visitor became tremendously excited about looking for diamonds. Diamonds were already discovered in abundance on the African continent and this farmer got so excited about the idea of millions of dollars worth of diamonds that he sold his farm to head out to the diamond line. He wandered all over the continent, as the years slipped by, constantly searching for diamonds, wealth, which he never found. Eventually he went completely broke and threw himself into a river and drowned.
Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm picked up an unusual looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle as a sort of curiosity. A visitor stopped by and in viewing the rock practically went into terminal convulsions. He told the new owner of the farm that the funny looking rock on his mantle was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found. The new owner of the farm said, "Heck, the whole farm is covered with them" -
and sure enough it was.
The farm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine...the richest the world has ever known. The original farmer was literally standing on "Acres of Diamonds" until he sold his farm.
Dr. Conwell learned from the story of the farmer and continued to teach it's moral. Each of us is right in the middle of our own "Acre of Diamonds", if only we would realize it and develop the ground we are standing on before charging off in search of greener pastures. Dr. Conwell told this story many times and attracted enormous audiences. He told the story long enough to have raised the money to start the college for underprivileged deserving students. In fact, he raised nearly six million dollars and the university he founded, Temple University in Philadelphia, has at least ten degree-granting colleges and six other schools.
When Doctor Russell H. Conwell talked about each of us being right on our own "Acre of Diamonds", he meant it. This story does not get old...it will be true forever...
Opportunity does not just come along - it is there all the time - we just have to see it.
One day, a young man went to him and told him he wanted a college education but couldn't swing it financially. Dr. Conwell decided, at that moment, what his aim in life was, besides being a man of cloth - that is. He decided to build a university for unfortunate, but deserving, students. He did have a challenge, however. He would need a few million dollars to build the university. For Dr. Conwell, and anyone with real purpose in life, nothing could stand in the way of his goal.
Several years before this incident, Dr. Conwell was tremendously intrigued by a true story - with its ageless moral. The story was about a farmer who lived in Africa and through a visitor became tremendously excited about looking for diamonds. Diamonds were already discovered in abundance on the African continent and this farmer got so excited about the idea of millions of dollars worth of diamonds that he sold his farm to head out to the diamond line. He wandered all over the continent, as the years slipped by, constantly searching for diamonds, wealth, which he never found. Eventually he went completely broke and threw himself into a river and drowned.
Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm picked up an unusual looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle as a sort of curiosity. A visitor stopped by and in viewing the rock practically went into terminal convulsions. He told the new owner of the farm that the funny looking rock on his mantle was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found. The new owner of the farm said, "Heck, the whole farm is covered with them" -
and sure enough it was.
The farm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine...the richest the world has ever known. The original farmer was literally standing on "Acres of Diamonds" until he sold his farm.
Dr. Conwell learned from the story of the farmer and continued to teach it's moral. Each of us is right in the middle of our own "Acre of Diamonds", if only we would realize it and develop the ground we are standing on before charging off in search of greener pastures. Dr. Conwell told this story many times and attracted enormous audiences. He told the story long enough to have raised the money to start the college for underprivileged deserving students. In fact, he raised nearly six million dollars and the university he founded, Temple University in Philadelphia, has at least ten degree-granting colleges and six other schools.
When Doctor Russell H. Conwell talked about each of us being right on our own "Acre of Diamonds", he meant it. This story does not get old...it will be true forever...
Opportunity does not just come along - it is there all the time - we just have to see it.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Paradox of our Time!
We spend more but have less.
We buy more but enjoy it less.
We watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We love too seldom and hate too often.
We've bigger houses and smaller families.
We've more conveniences, but less time.
We've more knowledge, but less judgment.
We've more experts, but more problems.
We've more medicine, but less wellness.
We've more degrees, but less sense.
We've multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We've taller buildings but shorter tempers.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life;
We've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space;
We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait;
We've higher incomes, but lower morals;
These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce;
These are the times of fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is the paradox of time........
We buy more but enjoy it less.
We watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We love too seldom and hate too often.
We've bigger houses and smaller families.
We've more conveniences, but less time.
We've more knowledge, but less judgment.
We've more experts, but more problems.
We've more medicine, but less wellness.
We've more degrees, but less sense.
We've multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We've taller buildings but shorter tempers.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life;
We've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space;
We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait;
We've higher incomes, but lower morals;
These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare.
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce;
These are the times of fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is the paradox of time........
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