Get Tuesday! - November 5, 2024
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There's an ancient Chinese tale about a farmer who, when faced with seemingly good or bad fortune, would simply say "Maybe." His neighbors called him wise, or maybe just odd, but his perspective carries a powerful lesson about judgment and time.
Welcome to Get Tuesday! This week, we're exploring how perspective shapes everything - from the way we interpret daily challenges to how we measure long-term progress. We'll dive into the fascinating "shopping cart test" (a surprisingly accurate gauge of character), examine why the difference between "no problem" and "my pleasure" isn't just semantic, and discover why sometimes you need to step back to truly see how far you've come.
So let's explore how small shifts in perspective can transform our approach to work and life.
The Chinese farmer
Embrace the paradox of luck with the Chinese farmer's tale -- one of my favorites. Here's the story:
There once lived an old farmer who had diligently tended to his crops for many years. He relied on his trusty, hard-working horse to plow the fields. But one day, the horse broke through the fence and ran away. Upon hearing this news, the farmer’s neighbors rushed over to the farmer to voice their concern. “What bad luck this is,” they said, “You will not have your horse during the critical planting season.” The farmer listened intently, nodding his head as if in agreement, smiling slightly. Then he spoke softly, “Bad luck, good luck — who really knows?”
A few days later the horse, accompanied by two wild horses, returned to the farmer’s stable. The farmer immediately realized that he could train these two new horses to help him plow his field more efficiently. Soon after, the neighbors heard about this and visited the farmer. “You are now blessed with three strong horses,” they said in unison, “What great luck this is!” But the laconic farmer simply replied, “Good luck, bad luck — who really knows?”
The farmer gave one of the untamed horses to his son. While riding the horse, the son was thrown off and broke his leg. The farmer’s neighbors came around again and expressed their worry, “It is a shame that your son will not be able to help you during planting season. This is such bad luck!” The farmer smiled faintly, and said “Bad luck, good luck — who really knows?”
A few days later, the Chinese emperor’s army rode ominously into town under gray clouds. The general’s order was to draft the eldest son from every family into the army. One of the soldiers took one look at the farmer’s son’s broken leg and motioned to have him left behind. The army marched out of town while tearful residents waved goodbye to their sons, knowing that they may not see them again. Later in the day, the neighbors gathered at the farmer’s house. “You are the only family that did not have their son drafted into the army,” they said. “This is such good luck!” The farmer, who was busy with his chores, looked up and said, “Good luck, bad luck — who really knows?”
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Life's challenges can be like the changing winds, but it's all about perspective.
Drawing from Taoist wisdom, the parable nudges us towards detachment and acceptance, guiding us to focus on the now and take each step with grace.
Explore the depths of fate and misfortune through this captivating narrative, offering a glimpse into the intricate tapestry of the human experience.
Words matter
As Shep says, In the realm of customer service, the language we choose can make all the difference in turning a negative encounter into a positive one. The "How do I..." opener offers an immediate chance to provide helpful guidance, while problem-driven conversations require us to transform complaints into constructive solutions.
Three key principles emerge: Embracing the power of "yes" and "no" to build trust and comfort, favoring "You're right" over "That's right" to validate the customer's perspective, and steering clear of confrontational "why" questions in favor of open-ended prompts for deeper understanding.
These linguistic subtleties may seem small, but they can have a profound impact, fostering confidence, strengthening relationships, and cultivating the kind of loyalty that keeps customers coming back. By mindfully selecting our words, we can elevate the customer service experience, turning even the most challenging interactions into opportunities to shine.
The shopping cart test
The humble shopping cart can serve as a revealing window into our personal character.
The "shopping cart test" - whether we return the cart to its designated spot or leave it abandoned - offers insight into our sense of social responsibility, consideration for others, and willingness to go the extra mile, even when no one is watching.
As Krystal D'Costa's research explores, our cart-returning habits reflect a spectrum of mindsets, from dedicated "Returners" to "Never Returners" who view it as someone else's problem. This small task serves as a microcosm of the choices we make every day, a reminder that the little things we do can have a ripple effect.
The next time you face the decision to return or abandon your cart, consider the implications - it's not about the cart, but about the person you aspire to be.
Dodgers are the champs
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series, defeating the New York Yankees in a best of seven-game series, 4-1.
I’m admittedly not the biggest baseball fan (so I don’t want to pretend like I watched every game this season), but I grew up going to Dodgers games all the time and follow them throughout the season.
This is just their second World Series win in my lifetime - which is hard to imagine when they’ve been as good as they have been. But Their first was in 2020 and, like everything else that year, felt unusual with few fans and no parade. So it was awesome for the players, team and fans to celebrate together.
Parting thought
Progress can sometimes be difficult to see in the short term, but becomes more apparent when you step back and look at the bigger picture.
When you're immersed in day-to-day tasks and challenges, it's easy to feel like you're not making headway.
But if you zoom out and reflect on where you were a month, a year, or even a decade ago, the progress you've made often becomes much clearer.
Visual here from @WisdomMadeEasy:
