Message of the Day - Seeing the Future in Others

Good Morning,

 

When we look at others what do we see? Do we see the clothes, the make-up, the hair? Do we see the person underneath all of that? Or do we see what that person could become in the future?

 

I remember being told a story from a former VP from Yahoo back in 1999. The story was that one employee of Geocities, before it was acquired by Yahoo, who often showed up to work in torn jeans and t-shirts. They probably did not own a comb or brush, and the rest of the grooming was questionable. In today’s world, each of our companies would have something to say about this employee and how we would deal with them. One day, this person came to work with several crumpled napkins with writing on them. When he laid them out, it was the framework for publishing multiple web pages to the internet at the same time, something no one in the industry could do at the time. The idea became a Billion Dollar Idea and launched Geocities, and then helped Yahoo.

 

How many of us would not have given this person a chance? How many of us would have forced him to change his mode of dress and grooming (yeah, I would have too)? How many of us would have fired him? Look at that opportunity cost, losing billions of dollars because of making a judgment on how someone dressed…

 

Last night I attended a job fair at ITT Technical Institute here in Louisville. The students came in mostly on their breaks. Some of the students came in with dress shirts and ties, others came in with full suits, and others had t-shirts and jeans. Some were very well groomed and others looked like they walked in off the street for a free meal. Each walked around the tables to see the different companies and what they offered in future employment.

 

When these people came to our table, I tried looking at them not as who they were by the way they are dressed, or groomed themselves, but the spark in their eye, the way they spoke and how they carried themselves. Many were nervous and some were very outspoken. In each of these people there was a chance of something great in their future. It was up to them to seek it, and since each were students learning to improve themselves, each was on the right road.

 

Many of those people will be doing great things in the future. It is our job to help see that future and clear the path for them to achieve it.

 

How are you helping others become their future selves?

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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