Friday Reflections

When in Rome, do as the Romans do?

As we are reaching the holiday season, it is time to have some lighter moments, reflect and remember some great times. Here is one of the very popular stories from 2006 Friday Reflections:

 

Humor in High Places:  A story told by Ronald Reagan.
 
“On my first visit to Mexico, I gave a speech to a rather large audience and then sat down to rather unenthusiastic and scattered applause. I was embarrassed and tried to cover all of that, because what made it worse was that the next speaker up was speaking in Spanish, which I didn’t understand, but he was getting interrupted virtually every line with most enthusiastic applause.
 
So, I started clapping before anyone else and longer than anyone else until our ambassador leaned over and said to me, ‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you. He is translating your speech.’”

 
 
Story Line:
 
If it can happen to Presidents, then who are we (common people) not to do such foolish things in a foreign land?
 
Several years ago during one of my trips to Manila, I was invited to give an opening speech at a Quality & Reliability conference. As I was sitting in the front seat waiting for my name to be called, I suddenly noticed that the entire audience had stood up.
 
Not knowing what was it for, maybe for me, I got up in a hurry. As I stood up, I noticed an elegant lady walking down the aisle. I assumed that she must be some famous celebrity guest of honor for the event.
 
Deciding to be proactive this time, I started clapping to welcome her.
 
Soon I noticed that I was the only one clapping, and many in the audience were trying to hold their laughter. I guess they had to. After all, I was the guest speaker. One colleague was frantically sending me some hand signals to stop clapping.
 
I immediately sat down, embarrassed again.
 
A few seconds later, I noticed (again!) that everyone was still standing and the lady had gone on to the podium and started a prayer. I found out later that it is customary in that part of the world to open the first event on the first Friday of the month with a prayer.
 
So, again, I got up in a hurry and prayed with others and ask for forgiveness for my foolish acts in a foreign land.
 
I guess my prayers were heard, and at the end of my opening speech I got a long applause.
 
And mind you, I did not clap with the audience.

Our Deepest Fear

 

Point to Ponder:

Don't let the opinions of the average man sway you. Dream, and he thinks you are crazy. Succeed, and he thinks you're lucky. Acquire wealth, and he thinks you're greedy. Pay no attention. He simply doesn't understand. -Robert Allen

Story Line:  Our Deepest Fear, by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

 
 

Think Big and Become Big, Think Small and Become Small.

“The greater danger for most of us is not that our expectations are too high and we miss it, but that they are too low and we hit it.” -Michelangelo

Story Line:

This incident happened in a medium size corporation in mid 1993. The company stock was floating in the 20s.

One day, a meeting between a sales, marketing and planning-logistics groups was getting heated. Sales had brought a very aggressive revised forecast for product sales. The planning people were busy referring to their notebooks and telling sales folks that it was impossible to meet the new forecast. They were constrained by our company’s supply line capabilities.

At the high point of that dialogue, the Vice President of Product Division entered the room and inquired what was going on. Each side explained their sides of the story with ample passion and data.

What followed has stayed with me forever:

Mr. VP went to the white board and started mumbling while writing on the board. “If we make the upper end of the new sales forecast, the revenue will be x amount of $$$$$. With that kind of revenue growth rate sustained over next few periods and based on our margin projections, the net profit will be $$$. For that kind of profit, our earnings per share will be $3.00. For the current Price/Earning ratio, which is 30 for our industry, the stock price would be $90.”  As he finished his calculations on the board, he turned to the amused audience and asked, “Who in this room believes that this can not be done?”

Planning and logistics people slowly closed their books and their leader told the audience, “This will require miracles but we will see what can be done and get back to you.”

The bottom line is that they stretched their imagination and found the extra capacity in the global supply line. The company exceeded revenue forecasts and the Wall Street rewarded it handsomely by exceeding $90 stock price in that time period.

 
Reflection:

The Vice President in this story later became a CEO of a large company and achieved great many things in that role.

Set high expectations that people can relate with. Then they will go an extra mile and investigate ways to fulfill them.

Set low expectations that people feel comfortable with. Then they will do everything possible to fulfill them as well.