Three important business lessons
My brother recently attended a business management seminar in Tampa, Fla. To relax the participants one of the speakers passed out some lessons he learned over the years. Three of those lessons are reprinted here:
Lesson 1: A man steps into the bathroom just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. She quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs to see who is at the door.
When she opens it, there stands a neighbor. Before she says a word, the neighbor says, "I'll give you $800 to drop that towel." After considering the offer for a moment, the woman removes her towel. After a few seconds, the neighbor quietly hands her $800 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and heads upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, "Who was that?"
"It was the next door neighbor," she replies.
"Great, did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?"
Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.
Lesson 2: A sales representative, an administration clerk and their manager are walking to lunch when they discover a jewel-encrusted antique oil lamp laying along the curb.
Naturally they rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, "In appreciation for freeing me from the confines of the lamp I'll give each of you just one wish."
"Me first! Me first!" says the clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world."
Puff! In a flash of light and smoke he is gone.
"Me next! Me next!" says the sales representative. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life."
Puff! She's gone, too.
"OK, you're turn," the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.
Lesson 3: An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, enjoying the view and doing nothing. A small rabbit spotted the eagle and said to him, "Hi, Mr. Eagle. You look very comfortable! Can I also sit like you and do nothing?"
The eagle answered: "Sure, why not."
So, the rabbit sat on the ground, next to the eagle's tree, and rested. All of a sudden a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up!
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