Morning Minute 4/04/23:
“A Tale of Two Fourth Graders”
John and Anne were fourth graders at Federal Elementary School. They were not friends when they sat down at the same table in the lunchroom. Anne looked unhappy, so John asked her what was the matter. Anne explained that she forgot her lunch today and had no lunch money. John said that he had a sandwich and an apple and would share them with her. He shared and she thanked him. This started a long lasting friendship between them.
Great story, right?
Let’s make a small change. After John sat down, Anne complained loudly that her Mom did not give her any lunch money. She shouted, “Mom didn’t even make my lunch. This is so unfair!” Seeing John’s apple, she demanded that he give it to her because she was hungry. She continued complaining until John finally gave her the apple. She was ungrateful and acted like John owed this to her. John decided that he would never sit with her again.
Small change…much different outcome.
Let’s change this again. John’s and Anne’s relatives had bad blood between them. 50 years ago, Anne’s grandmother accused John’s grandfather of keeping her from getting the job she wanted because of her race. The families were enemies from that day forward. Earlier that day, Anne was crying as she shared this story with the school counselor.
John did not want to sit with Anne. He sat there only because there were no other seats in the lunchroom. Anne began shouting at John, demanding that he give her his lunch because he owed her. Hearing the commotion, the counselor approached their table. Seeing who was involved, the counselor told John that he must give his lunch to Anne due to what his grandfather had done. John did as he was told, but not before shouting that he was not responsible for something his grandfather did 50 years ago.
Can you relate to these stories? How does the attitude taken by Anne in the second story change its outcome? In the third story how was the relationship between John and Anne shaped by an event that happened 50 years ago? Based on the third story, how would you react if you were John?
Now, compare these stories to what is happening between people in America today. Do you see any similarities? Why do we not treat each other with respect? How are we so set in our opinions that we do not listen to others?
Lastly, how must we change for Americans to peacefully discuss issues, by listening to each other, and begin working together to create positive outcomes?
And, that is
today’s Morning Minute.
Morning Minute 4/07/23:
“How Do You Decide?”
We all face making decisions every day.
“What do I do or say?” “Which route should I take?” “Who do I trust?” “Do I buy this or that?” “Do I sell now or later?” “How do I accomplish this task?”
In solving problems, we can use previous experience or seek a new solution. We can use emotion or logic. We can trust our intuition or use data. Most people will decide on a solution that uses several of these approaches.
A dealership’s finance team was not meeting quota. They believed that the sales team was preventing them from doing their job effectively by not following the company pricing policy. They expected the GM to settle this issue. Mike, the GM, pulled the first 15 proposals for the current month. The data showed that the sales team was following their policy. Sharing that data, he required the finance team to stop blaming others and meet their quota. The leader used data to assign accountability.
A championship basketball team played poorly in first half. They weren’t playing together, nor following the game plan. Two starters were in foul trouble. At halftime they were down 16 points. The head coach usually met the players as they entered the locker room. Instead, he paused, sending in the assistant coaches first. The team was confused by his was absence. After 7 minutes, Pat Riley entered the room and silently strode over to the ice bag kicking ice across the floor. He shouted that he was ashamed to coach this team. He was embarrassed for the fans and Los Angeles. He shouted that if you want to play Lakers basketball, you can come out for the second half and perform like champions. If not, you could stay in the locker room and forfeit the game. He left the room. The team rebounded to win in the second half. Riley used emotion to turn the game around.
To achieve their goals, a Savannah service club needed 25% more revenue than last year. The club was also losing members. Analyzing programs for the previous 3 years, the president shared with his board that they needed to use the previous processes, while adding a new campaign. Each current member who recruited a new member would receive three months dues free. Plus, he attracted more interesting and entertaining speakers that aligned with his effort to “Have fun being a Rotarian!” By year’s end, they earned the additional revenue while adding 18 new members. He used previous experience with a new solution to achieve superior team performance.
Making decisions is integral to successfully achieving your goals.
Decide how best to make each decision.
Decide.
Then, execute your plan with confidence.
That is today’s Morning Minute.
