Just a Little More Initiative

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I was recently scanning some of the 160 book reviews on our website and came across one particular title that seemed very relevant to many of the situations I’m asked to address for our clients in today’s business culture. This book, Please Don’t Just Do What I Tell You, Do What Needs to Be Done: Every Employee’s Guide to Making Work More Rewarding, appears to be another simple example of “common sense.” However, upon closer examination it’s obviously another example of something that is NOT “common practice.”

Bob Nelson’s book may be short at just 105 pages, but it certainly packs a wallop at a time when it is most urgently needed. In what the author calls The Ultimate Experience, he shares a few very apparent thoughts that far too many of us assume our employees are aware of and practicing regularly. For instance:

  • “You never need permission to do great work.”
  • “Wherever you work, whomever you work for, management expects that you will always use your own best judgment and effort to figure out what needs to be done and then do it without having to be told.”

Sounds almost too evident to point out, doesn’t it? On the other hand, how often do you see these examples practiced in today’s workplace? Maybe we should revisit them as expectations from day one followed by some stringent accountability and topped of with the proper consequences. If this were done properly and more regularly, I’m sure we’d see an increase in productively as well as the many benefits which accompany such behavior. Unmistakably win-win for everyone involved.

The following antiquated generational gem provides a simple but perfect example of this simple philosophy.

Two Brothers and the Geese

Two sons worked for their father on the family’s farm. The younger brother had, for some years, been given more responsibility and rewards, and one day the older brother asked his father to explain why this happened.

The father, hoping to further develop his first born, said, “I’ll be more than happy to explain my decision. First, go to the Jefferson’s farm and see if they have any geese for sale as we need to add to our stock.”

The older brother soon returned with the answer, “Yes, they have five geese they can sell to us.”

The father then said, “Good, please ask them the price.”

The son returned with the answer, “The geese are $10 each.”

The father said, “Good, now ask if they can deliver the geese tomorrow.”

And duly the son returned with the answer, “Yes, they can deliver the geese to us
tomorrow.”

The father then asked the older brother to wait and listen closely. He then called to the younger brother in a nearby field saying, “Go to Jefferson’s Farm and see if they have any geese for sale as we need to add to our stock.”

The younger brother soon returned with the answer, “Yes, they have five geese for $10 each, or ten geese for $8 each; and they can deliver them tomorrow. I asked them to deliver the five unless they heard otherwise from us in the next hour. I also convinced them that, should we determine a need for the other five, that they will sell them to us at $6 each.”

The father turned to the older son, who nodded his head in appreciation. He now realized why his brother was given more responsibility and rewards.

Which brother would you prefer to have on your payroll?

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

What We Don’t Learn from the Past, We’re Bound to Repeat!

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This generational gem was written quite some time ago although you may have trouble embracing that fact because it’s so relevant to modern day times … especially this time of the year.

I could suggest that you simply read this cute poem and enjoy it for what it is. But naw-w-w-w, there’s much more to be savored here. Let’s do a bit of a “reframe.” Read it through the first time visualizing your own father as “Pa.” Memories will no doubt provide you with a smile. Read it through the second time visualizing yourself or your husband as “Pa.” Again, another smile but this time accompanied with a little guilt and a somewhat different memory. Now read it a third time … this time visualize your son as “Pa” enjoying Christmas Day with your grandchildren. Another smile and maybe a peak into the future.

In each scenario, it’s quite obvious that we simply seldom learn from experience. In this situation, it’s fun and memorable. In the business place, it could easily stifle our progress and lead to situations we simply can’t afford.

For now, read this classic poem, enjoy it for what it is and pay special attention to the author and his life line at the end. It may surprise you.

The train of cars that Santa brought is out of kilter now:
While pa was showing how they went, he broke the spring somehow.
They used to run around a track … at least they did when he
Would let me take them in my hand and wind ’em with a key.
I could ‘a’ had some fun with ’em, if only they would go.
But, gee, I never had a chance, for pa enjoyed ’em so!

The automobile that I got that ran around the floor
Was lots of fun when it was new, but it won’t go no more.
Pa wound it up for Uncle Jim to show him how it went,
And when those two got through with it, the runnin’ gear was bent,
An’ now it doesn’t go at all. I mustn’t grumble though,
‘Cause while it was in shape to run, my pa enjoyed it so.

I’ve got my blocks as good as new, my mitts are perfect yet;
Although the snow is on the ground, I haven’t got ’em wet.
I’ve taken care of everything that Santa brought to me,
except the toys that run about when wound up with a key.

But next year you can bet I won’t make any such mistake;
I’m going to ask for toys an’ things that my pa cannot break!

(EDGAR ALBERT GUEST, 1881-1959!)

Yes, the author of this classic died almost 50 years ago but his words ring as true as though he were predicting what will be happening next week in so many homes around the world on Christmas Day. Do we ever learn from the past? In this case, it’s cute … in others it can be critical.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Mentoring Magic: Take a Moment – Make a Difference

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It’s intriguing to think about the vast amount of time, energy, money and focus we, as a culture, are willing to invest in our career and personal goals. We sacrifice our sacred family time, our mental, physical, and emotional health, our personal lives and how many other unknown assets to seek out future success which may very well never be realized. And to what end?

Of course, the answers to that question are varied. Some of us not only achieve but surpass those lofty aspirations. Others fall by the wayside at various points in the formidable journey.

Regardless of the category you may fall into, take a moment to truly consider the priceless investment you’ve made while striving to complete that awesome journey. Have you received a return on that investment (ROI)? Have you paused at any time to provide a return on your investment? Have you given back, to any degree, any of your time, education or experience to assist others on their chosen journey? Investing your time, effort, and resources will provide you with a cherished return on your investment. Personal satisfaction gained by assisting others, mentoring, or simply sharing your experience simply can’t be measured. It takes just a few moments to make somebody’s day, to help someone with their own personal aims and dreams—especially someone who looks up to you for encouragement and support.

Consider the following instance and contemplate the powerful consequences of such a small but generous gesture. How many opportunities, similar to this one, present themselves to us on a regular basis? Of those, how many do we take advantage of? It is certainly food for thought.

A mother wished to encourage her small girl’s interest in the piano and so took her to a local concert featuring an excellent pianist. In the entrance foyer the mother met an old friend and the two stopped to talk. The little girl was keen to see inside the hall and so wandered off, unnoticed by her mother. Mom became concerned when she entered the hall and could see no sign of her daughter. Staff was notified and an announcement was made asking the audience to look out for the little lost girl. With the concert due to start, the little girl had still not been found. In preparation for the pianist’s entrance, the curtains drew aside, to reveal the little girl sitting at the great piano, focused in concentration, quietly picking out the notes of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

The audience’s amusement turned to curiosity when the pianist entered the stage, walked up to the little girl, and with a warm smile on his face, quietly said, “Keep playing.”

The pianist sat down beside her, listened for a few seconds, and whispered some more words of encouragement. He then began quietly to play a bass accompaniment, and then a few bars later reached around the little girl to add more accompaniment. At the end of the impromptu performance the audience applauded loudly as the pianist took the little girl back to her seat to be reunited with her mother.

The experience was inspirational for everyone, not least the small girl. Who knows what impact that kind gesture may have had on the future of that young lady or what inspiration it may have provided those in the audience to do the same in the near future. Never underestimate the potential power you possess and the positive effects it may have on others.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Fuel for Thought

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I went to my barber for my last cut of 2007. Apparently, many others had the same idea as the shop was filled … eight chairs and the entire waiting area! As usual, everyone was discussing the same subjects they always discuss while getting trimmed. In fact, “getting trimmed” was one of the more popular subjects as the rising cost of just about everything came into focus. Constantly rising gasoline prices seemed to be the biggest complaint as everyone compared today’s prices with those of last year’s holiday season.

I simply sat and listened as I normally do. I learn so much more by observing people than I do by joining the conversation. Ironically, I was reading the newspaper as everyone ranted and raved about gas prices. I suddenly came across an article, complete with graphics, that, had I shared it, would have silenced everyone in a nano-second!

It was titled: “Fuel For Thought.” In just a few words, it addressed the fact that so many of us grumble about the price of gasoline while it’s actually a bargain compared to a gallon of so many other goods which we consume daily. For instance, the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. at the moment is $3.06. Compare that to the gallon price of the following products:

  • Average gallon of milk … $ 3.49
  • Evian water … $ 5.12
  • Wesson cooking oil … $ 5.47
  • Blue Bunny ice cream … $ 8.38
  • Bud Light … $ 9.73
  • Starbucks Coffee … $12.88

Makes gas sound like a steal, doesn’t it? Thank goodness for small containers. Proves everything is relative and you know how we feel about relatives. I came so close to sharing that article with everyone in the barber shop. However, that would have deprived them of their joy and freedom to complain. So I just smiled to myself, finished my paper, got my hair cut and headed back to the office. Guess that was my first Christmas gift to anyone this season.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Little-known Facts about Well-known Leaders – Howard Schultz

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A friend recently asked when I was going to add another article to our series of “Little-known Facts about Well-known Leaders and Businesses.” He shares these articles with the students in the high school class he teaches.

When I informed him that I was currently writing an article on Howard Schultz, he asked me two questions. The first was “Who is Howard Schultz?” The second question was “Why Howard Schultz?” I found both interesting and had to admit that many people might very well ask the same questions. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to begin this article by answering those questions.

Why Howard Schultz?

Once you know who this man is and what he has accomplished in a relatively short period of time, I would think you’d automatically want to know more about him, how he did what he did, and what he may be capable of in the future.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Starbucks, but how much do you really know about them?

  • Starbucks is a dominant multinational coffeehouse chain based here in the U.S.
  • Named after the first mate in the novel Moby-Dick, Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world!
  • Boasting 7,521 company-owned and 5,647 licensed stores in 41 countries, worldwide locations total 13,168.
  • Industry experts predict a future of 50,000 stores, trumping even McDonalds. Think about that for a moment.
  • Last year they registered revenues of $7.786 BILLION!
  • They are currently opening coffee shops at the rate of 3½ a day worldwide and that figure is expected to increase soon!
  • They currently employ over 147,436 employees!
  • They are currently hiring 250 people a day!
  • Their subsidiaries include Starbucks Coffee Company, Tazo Tea Co., Seattle’s Best Coffee, Torrefazione Italia, Hear Music, and Ethos Water.
  • Starbucks brand ice cream and coffee are also sold in grocery stores, and they have ventured beyond refreshments into books, music, and film.
  • Here’s the most amazing fact. At a time when this country is facing financially challenging times, this company bases its success on the fact that they are selling a product that averages $12.88 a gallon while consumers are complaining about $3.00 a gallon gasoline!! More power to them.

Hopefully, I’ve answered the question of “Why Howard Schultz?” This man is the Wizard behind the Coffee Curtain.

Now let’s tackle “Who is Howard Schultz?”

He’s an American businessman and entrepreneur most widely known as the Chairman and Chief Global Strategist of Starbucks and former owner of the Seattle Supersonics.

Howard was born in 1952 and grew up in a subsidized public housing project in Brooklyn, New York as the eldest of three children. A football scholarship to faraway Northern Michigan University was his ticket out of the projects, and he became the first in his family to earn a degree.

After graduating, Howard worked at a variety of jobs for six years before becoming the manager of U.S. operations for Hammarplast, a Swedish maker of stylish kitchen equipment and housewares.

In 1981, he traveled from New York to Seattle to check out a popular coffee bean store called Starbucks that had been buying many of the Hammarplast drip coffeemakers he was selling. He immediately fell in love with not only that great smell but with the care the Starbucks owners put into choosing and roasting the beans. He was also very impressed with the owners’ dedication to educating the public about the wonders of coffee connoisseurship.

He walked away from that visit saying, “God, what a great company, what a great city. I’d love to be a part of that!” The rest is history. What a fantastic story! What serendipity! What inspiration! This is a perfect example of why we chose to share these stories!

Determined as he was to become part of this organization, it took Howard a year to convince Starbucks owners to hire him. As their Director of Marketing, he traveled to Italy in 1982 where he had still another epiphany. He couldn’t help but notice that coffee bars appeared on almost every block. After investigating this phenomenon, Howard discovered that there were over 200,000 coffee houses in Italy, and they did much more than serve espresso. They served as meeting places or public squares … they were a critical piece of the Italian culture.

Inspired by what he had witnessed, he hurried back to the U.S., resolved to create a similar experience. Shocking long story short. Starbucks leadership said they simply weren’t interested in getting into the restaurant business. Schultz responded by quitting to start his own company, ll Giornale. It was a small, friendly café which soon became a popular gathering place for Seattle sophisticates. As it grew more popular, Schultz planned to expand his chain. That’s when he heard a rumor that the Starbucks leadership team had decided to focus on Peet’s Coffee & Tea. In 1987, he bought out the Starbucks partners for $3.8 million and hasn’t looked back since.

Taking great pride in his knack for “Thinking Outside the Cup,” Schultz developed a series of practices that were unprecedented in retail. He insisted that all employees working at least 20 hours a week get comprehensive health coverage, including coverage for unmarried spouses. Then he introduced an employee stock-option plan. These moves boosted employee loyalty and led to extremely low employee turnover, even though salaries were fairly low. To this day, leaders in every industry claim these benefits simply aren’t feasible.

Quick reminder:

  • 13,168 stores!
  • 3½ new stores daily!
  • 147,436 employees!
  • 250 new employees per day!
  • Revenues of almost $8 billion!

Starbucks has managed to blossom without national advertising.

Last year, Forbes Magazine ranked Schultz as the 354th richest person in the U.S., with a net worth of $1.1 billion!

Despite their tremendous success, they have less than 6% market share of coffee consumption. They are in the infant stages of growth in this business! Maybe more leaders should be “Thinking Outside the Cup.”

Asked the secret of his success, Schultz shared his four major principles:

  • Don’t be threatened by people smarter than you.
  • Compromise anything but your core values.
  • Seek to renew yourself even when you are hitting home runs.
  • Everything matters!

To discover more about the man, the company, and the industry, check out the following books:

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Prepare for the Stressful Holiday Season

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As most everyone knows, the period from Halloween to New Year’s Eve is unusually stressful for the average person. The many reasons are obvious when you review the many events which take place within that time period. Add to those events the typically poor weather conditions, the state of the economy, several potential war fronts, immigration status, an emergence of an election year, and a dozen other concerns which can be found on the pages of any local newspaper and the possibility of stressors affecting the average person is almost a certainty.

However, when you look back over your past, you realize that these issues arise on a pretty regular basis, and we always seem to weather the storm. Perhaps we should pause for a moment and do a little “reframe” that will certainly assist us in coping with the current stressors as they arise.

Again, we have a generational gem to fall back on. This one concerns a young man learning a very valuable lesson from a grandparent … a firm foundation so many of us have utilized as we developed and nurtured our knowledge base.

GRANDMA’S CAKE OF LIFE

Young Jordan is telling his Grandma how “everything” seems to be going wrong in his life … school, family problems, severe health problems, etc.

Meanwhile, Grandma is baking a cake. She asks Jordan if he would like a snack, which of course he does.

“Here, have some cooking oil,” she says.

“Yuck,” Jordan says as he makes a face of disgust.

“How about a couple raw eggs?”

“Gross, Grandma!”

“Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?”

“Grandma, those are all yucky!”

To which Grandma replies, “Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! Life works the same way.

“Many times we wonder why things are the way they are … and we must suffer such bad and difficult times. And yet, down deep, we know from experience that in life, with these things all in order, they always work for the good. We just have to be patient, trust your higher power, whatever that be, and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Make a Difference this Christmas

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Until today, I thought this Christmas season was going to be pretty much like so many others in the past. I’m not a big fan of commercialism. Never have been. Although I’ve become accustomed to seeing Christmas promotions and hearing my favorite carols prior to Halloween, I’ve always felt it placed a damper on the true spirit of the holiday.

Today I forced myself to go to the mall because I had to pick up a few things for an upcoming cross-country holiday journey.  As expected, I was pushed, pulled, hustled, hassled, harassed, solicited, stressed, delayed and dismayed … none of which should be associated with such a magnificent holiday.

Well, today I learned of a way in which I can return to those wondrous days of yesterday when Christmas spirit wasn’t something you drank to dull your senses for the nerve-wracking journey to your local “Mall Mecca.”

On the way to the mall, I heard a radio segment promoting a fantastic web site which is successfully accomplishing what numerous government agencies and rolls of red tape have never been able to.  Don’t take my word for it.  Check out www.anysoldier.com. I’ll give you a quick intro here to encourage you to check it out in much greater detail on their site.  They have DOZENS of “Frequently Asked Questions” that will clarify everything for you in great detail.

Sgt. Brian Horn from LaPlata, Maryland, an Army Infantry Soldier with the 173rd Airborne Brigade was in Iraq when he started the idea of Any Soldier® to help care for his soldiers. He agreed to distribute packages that came to him with “Attn: Any Soldier” in the address to soldiers who didn’t get mail.  He later completed a tour in Afghanistan and is now home, but AnySoldier.com continues to grow larger than ever.

This program started in August of 2003 as a simple family effort to help the soldiers in one Army unit … thus the name. Due to overwhelming requests, January 1 of 2004 produced the expansion of the program to include Marines, Airmen, and Sailors who were serving in harms way.

This organization has contacts listed on their site.  You simply click through the names and select the one(s) you wish to support.  They list what the folks they represent want and need and even offer a search capability so you can easily identify what the troops need most.

You send your support letters and/or packages addressed as instructed and your gifts will be passed on to soldiers who don’t normally receive much or any mail.  Everything is shared. If you’re short on cash as so many Americans are this year … simply send a card or letter. Sadly, there are far too many soldiers who receive little or no mail at all.  A thank-you note from us showing our appreciation for their sacrifices will certainly put a smile on their faces.

As I mentioned earlier the web site will answer ALL of your questions about this wonderful service. They even provide a free video, “Tango Mike,” on the site that explains the entire operation.

Here’s your chance to make this one of the best Christmas seasons you’ve ever experienced while, at the same time, you’re bringing a “little bit of home” into the lives of so many dedicated, loyal military personnel who risk their lives every day to allow us to continue to experience our many freedoms and wonderful way of life!

One last thing … don’t waste your time and/or energy concerning yourself as to whether supporting this organization will pigeon hole you as being for or against the war.  It has nothing to do with the war or the cronies who debate it daily to gain personal status and wealth.  It has everything to do with the very brave, innocent soldiers who are in the midst of that chaos away from their loved ones, by choice, as they protect us here at home!

Check it out today.  Take action immediately and tell others about this fantastic opportunity to voice our thanks, appreciation, and respect for those sacrificing everything for us!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Everyone Plays a Crucial Role

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There has been so much said and written about the importance of leadership in this day and age. We, ourselves, do a great deal of it weekly on both our web site and blog.

Leadership is critical—that can’t be argued. However, not everyone can be or should be a leader. Thankfully, there is a very valuable role for those who choose not to lead or may not have the qualifications of a leader. The support of these folks is crucial to any endeavor, and they should indeed be proud of the role they play. We’ve witnessed many an organization fall by the wayside because they had far too many leaders than followers. As a result, the leaders had no one to follow them and disaster followed.

The following “Generational Gem” by my favorite author, “Anonymous,” illustrates the pride we should all feel in our supportive roles at work, in our family, church or community. It may also bring a smile to your face.

Bobby was auditioning with his classmates for a school play. His mother knew that he’d set his heart on being in the play—just like all the other children hoped too—and she feared how he would react if he was not chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, Bobby’s mother went to the school gates to meet her son. The little lad rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. “Guess what, Mum?” he shouted, and then said the words that provide a lesson to us all, “I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer.”

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Take Time to Appreciate

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Last week, I spoke to you about perspective and how seldom we take the time to really think about it.

We all have our ups and downs. It’s the nature of the beast. Some days we feel as though absolutely nothing else could possibly go wrong. Who else on earth could possibly be having as bad a day? Well, the next time you find yourself entertaining such thoughts, consider the following facts, and you just might be a little more appreciative of the life you’re leading.

  • This morning, if you woke up healthy, then you are happier than the 1 million people that will not survive next week.
  • If you never suffered a war, the loneliness of the jail cell, the agony of torture, or hunger, you are happier than 500 million people in the world.
  • If you can enter into a church (mosque) without fear of jail or death, you are happier then 3 million people in the world.
  • If there is food in your fridge, you have shoes and clothes, you have a bed and a roof, you are richer then 75% of the people in the world.
  • If you have a bank account, money in your wallet and some coins in the money-box, you belong to the 8% of the people on the world, who are well-to-do.
  • If you read this, you are twice blessed because:
    • you aren’t one of the 200 million people that cannot read, and
    • you have a computer!

As somebody once said:
– work as if you don’t need money,
– love as if you’ve never been hurt,
– dance, as if nobody can see you,
– sing, as if no one can hear,
– and live, as if the Earth was a heaven.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Always Done It that Way?

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This “Gem” has to be one of the most antiquated tales I can remember. In addition, I have a strange feeling it was passed on over the ages from mother to daughter rather than through the usual business network.

However, it certainly proves a most valid point about our need to challenge belief systems and assumptions about many aspects of our daily lives. In fact, in reviewing this old favorite, I was reminded of a great number of pointless routines in our business world which definitely need to be questioned. See what you think.

The Ham Story

Little Jamie was watching her mother prepare a ham for dinner. Her mother cut off both ends of the ham and then then placed it into a baking pan. Jamie asked her mother why she cut off the ends before placing it in the pan. Her mother thought for a while and then said, “I’ve always done it that way—that’s how grandma always did it.”

Not satisfied with the answer, Jamie went to visit her grandma to find out why she cut the ends off the ham before baking it.

Grandma thought for a while and replied, “I don’t know. I learned that from my mother. She always did it that way.”

So Jamie and Grandma went to visit Great Grandma to ask if she knew the answer. Great Grandma thought for a while, smiled and said, “Because in those days we could only afford a small pan and the ham simply wouldn’t fit without cutting off the ends.”

How many things are we doing in our daily routines, both business and personal, that would benefit from a quick review … just to make certain we aren’t doing those things because that’s the way we’ve always done them? You might be surprised.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.