Corporate Learning Series - 9/ Initiative

Some years ago, three brothers left the farm to work in the city. They
were all hired by the same company at the same pay. Three years
later, Jim
was being paid $500 a month, Frank was receiving $1,000, but George
was now
making $1,500.

Their father decided to visit the employer. He listened to the
confused
father and said, "I will let the boys explain for themselves."

Jim was summoned to the supervisor's office and was told, "Jim, I
understand the Far East Importers has just brought in a large
transport
plane loaded with Japanese import goods. Will you please go over to
the
airport and get a cargo inventory?"

Three minutes later, Jim returned to the office. "The cargo was one
thousand bolts of Japanese silk," Jim reported. "I got the
information over
the telephone from a member of the crew."

When Jim left, Frank, the $1,000 a month brother, was
called. "Frank," said
the supervisor, "I wish you'd go out to the airport and get an
inventory of
the cargo plane which was just brought in by Far East Importers."

An hour later, Frank was back in the office with a list showing that
the
plane carried 1,000 bolts of Japanese silk, 500 transistor radios,
and 1,000
hand painted bamboo trays. George, the $1,500 a month brother, was
given
identical instructions. Working hours were over when he finally
returned.

"The transport plane carried one thousand bolts of Japanese silk," he
began.
"It was on sale at sixty dollars a bolt, so I took a two-day option
on the
whole lot. I have wired a designer in New York offering the silk at
seventy-five dollars a bolt. I expect to have the order tomorrow. I
also
found five hundred transistor radios, which I sold over the telephone
at a
profit of $2.30 each. There were a thousand bamboo trays, but they
were of
poor quality, so I didn't try to do anything with them."

When George left the office, the employer smiled. "You probably
noticed,"
he said, "that Jim doesn't do what he's told, Frank does only what
he'd
told, but George does without being told."

*The future is full of promise for one who shows initiative. *