Business Stories with a Lesson #2

from Business All.com 7/13 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz

Benefits of wearing the “Business is Great” Badge continued
· the pleasure of meeting & talking with different people every day
· the reward that comes from helping staff take on new challenges & experiences
· the fun & laughter in a relaxed & healthy work environment
· the fascination in the work itself, and in the other people’s work & businesses
· the great feeling when you finish a job and do it to the best of your capabilities
· the new things you learn every day – even without trying to do so
· and the thought that everyone in business is blessed – because there are many millions of people who would swap their own situation to have the same opportunities of doing a productive meaningful job, in a civilized well-fed country, where we have no real worries.

And so the list went on. And no matter how miserable a person was, they’d usually end up feeling a lot happier after just a couple of minutes listening to all this infectious enthusiasm & positivity.
It is impossible to quantify or measure “attitude” like this, but to one extent or another it’s probably a self-fulfilling prophecy, on which point, if asked about the badge in a quiet moment, the business owner would confide: “The badge came first. The great business followed.”

Stranded Car Dilemma
This story is adapted from a scenario which featured in a widely circulated Email, in which (supposedly) job applicants were given loosely the following question to answer, to indicate their personality & decision-making motives (supposedly). The job application context is extremely doubtful, but the lesson in creative thinking is interesting, especially if people are not given too long to dwell on it:

You are driving alone in two-seater car on a deserted road in blizzard conditions, when you see another car which has recently run off the road and into a tree. There are three people in the stranded car, none of whom is injured:
· an old friend, who once saved your life
· your childhood sweetheart greatest lost love
· an elderly lady
No-one has a phone. The likelihood of any more passing traffic is effectively zero. The conditions are too dangerous for people to walk anywhere. It is not possible to tow the crashed car. The nearest town is an hour’s drive away.
The question is: Given that your car is just a two-seater, in what order should the stranded people be taken to the nearest town?

[ Answer, Sick-of-Work, The Soldiers & The Trench in the next Premium Content ]