Where’s my tractor?

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“Sorry Minister, we know it left Hamilton, but it failed to arrive in Taumarunui.” – NZ Railway Executive

The above quote is attributed to an executive from the state-owned New Zealand Railways in the 1980s. A farmer had written to Richard Prebble, the then Minister for Railways complaining that the Railways had lost his tractor. After weeks of fruitless complaining and an offer to pay $20 to compensate the loss based on some obscure statutory railway regulation, he wrote to the Minister.

Prebble then ordered the railways to find the tractor. A reply came back stating that the tractor had failed to arrive in Taumarunui. The distance by rail between Hamilton and Taumarunui is just under 160 kms. At the time, the NZ Railways was a monopoly, had 22,000 employees and was losing a million dollars a day. It was also losing customers, freight and sometimes whole wagons. With 22,000 employees in a small country like New Zealand they could not find a tractor!

Prebble then wrote apologetically to the farmer stating that they could not find his tractor. Frustrated that the bureaucrats (and the Minister) in the railways could not help him, the farmer decided to take matters into his own hands. He got into his car and followed the railway line. In a week, he found his tractor and six missing rail wagons!

Following this sad account of poor customer service, consultants were engaged. Their final report found many of the railway ‘managers’ had been promoted “simply because they looked the part”, “have been “yes-men” to their superiors”, and “never take a decision for which, if it fails, they can be held to account”. The railways were later privatised.

What is the lesson for managers here?

An organisation with 22,000 employees, even with the direction of the Minister could not compel its employees to care enough for its customers to find something as big as a tractor. Clearly, not only did the employees not care, but management was also either ineffective, incompetent or had no authority or a combination of all of the above. This is also a great example of how sadly how poor culture ‘kills’ an organistion, in this case corporate culture! It can be defined as ‘how we do things around here’, and it is intangible but can be ‘felt’.

Successful organisations need clear goals. Management not only needs to be responsible, but held accountable and have the authority to act.

@thenetworkofconsultingprofessionals

An ongoing mystery….what can an early Australian explorer teach us about being a manager?

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”Leichhardt, his men, their animals and mountains of equipment seem to have vanished without trace.”

John Bailey – Leichhart’s biographer

Who was Ludwig Leichhart?

Leichhart was a German born scientist and explorer who lived in colonial Australia in the 19th Century. In 1848 he set off from a sheep station in south-east Queensland with seven men, 20 mules, 40 bullocks and seven spare horses to cross Australia from east to west. He was never seen again.  Only one piece of equipment has ever been found and authenticated. A brass plate stamped with ‘Ludwig Leichhardt 1848′ that was originally attached to a rifle butt was found in a tree trunk. Countless expeditions have failed to find any trace of the expedition. It remains one of the most intriguing and unresolved mysteries of early Australian exploration.

Previous blogs published on this website about early Australian explorers in 1860s, Burke and Wills and John McDouall Stuart have examined the issues of leadership and management. However, Leichhardt was an enigma, an outsider and not British. This contrasted to other explorers at the time who were primarily from the British military.

Before his ill-fated final 1848 journey, Leichhart led an expedition in 1845-46 that took over 12 months travelling 4,800 kilometres, from south-east Queensland to Port Essington in the Northern Territory. At the time, the expedition was the longest colonial land exploration journey in Australia. This was a trek of about 3,000 miles through largely uncharted territory. Imagine the grit and determination it took to navigate, survive, and map such a vast and challenging landscape! It was a remarkable feat that greatly contributed to our understanding of Australia’s geography and natural history.

When Leichhart returned to Sydney by boat in 1846, he was awarded The Royal Geographical Society Patron’s Medal and hailed as the ‘Prince of Explorers’. His detailed maps and records, his assessments of good pastoral country, and botanical collections were widely acclaimed at the time. In contrast to other early European explorers, none of his expedition team members on his Port Essington expedition suffered from scurvy. They supplemented their diet with native greens and fruits.

Despite his recognition and success, today Leichhardt is primarily remembered for his mysterious disappearance. Furthermore, his reputation remains tainted. There are many theories. Did he die of thirst in the desert? Was his party massacred by Aboriginals? Were they washed away in a flash flood? Was he killed by mutineering companions, who in turn perished?

There’s nothing like failure, perceived or otherwise, or mystery to ruin a reputation.

Are there any lessons for managers here?

Here are three to consider:

  1. Pushing the boundaries. Leichhardt pushed into unknown territories and was prepared to do things differently than other explorers at the time. As a scientist, he challenged the orthodoxy of the time, an approach business managers should consider.
  2. The importance of thorough preparation and having a contingency plan. This was certainly the case in his expedition to Port Essington. Living off the land where possible and ensuring his team did not get scurvy.
  3. However, his final, ill-fated journey also serves as a cautionary tale. It underscores the need for careful planning and risk management. Venturing into the unknown is essential for growth and discovery, but so is recognising and preparing for potential dangers. The mystery of his disappearance also highlights the importance of communication and contingency planning – knowing when and how to keep stakeholders informed is crucial in any endeavor.

Can you think of other lessons?

@thenetworkofconsultingprofessionals

The legend of Lasseter’s Gold Reef…

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“Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold” Leo Tolstoy – Russian writer

As a young boy I remember reading the book by Ion Idriess called “Lasseter’s Last Ride” about the 1930 search for a fabled reef with gold “as thick as plums in a pudding” in the deserts of Central Australia. A rich gold reef waiting to be discovered! I was hooked. And I was not the first. Lasseter’s Reef continues to fascinate even today. Since the fateful 1930 expedition where Lasseter died alone in the desert, many expeditions have been undertaken, and none have discovered the fabled reef.

Who was Harold Bell Lasseter?

Lasseter was born in 1880 in Victoria, Australia. In 1903 Lasseter married while living in the USA. In the USA he changed his name to Harold Bell Lasseter, ‘Bell’ being the surname of a popular American author of a book about a lost gold reef! Returning 5 years later he allegedly spent his time inventing and working in various jobs around Australia. Lasseter twice enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War I and was discharged both times without leaving Australia, once for being AWOL and for the second time for being engaged in a brawl. In 1927 he married again whilst still married to his first wife. In 1929 he claimed to have submitted the original design for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and sought compensation for his work. It was rejected. In around 1930 at the onset of the Great Depression, he began lobbying the government and trade union officials to mount an expedition to find a gold reef in the desert that he claimed he had discovered years earlier. Lasseter has been described as a bigamist, fantasist, an eccentric, a swindler, a crank and a difficult character with a reputation as a con man.  

The ‘discovery’ of Lasseter’s Reef

Lasseter claimed that in 1897 while travelling alone in the deserts of Central Australia he had come across a rich gold reef whilst travelling from a false ruby strike in South Australia. His horse had died, and he was miraculously rescued by an Afghan camel driver who nursed him back to health. Three years later with a surveyor called Harding, he relocated the reef, took the bearings but failed to peg the claim. Unfortunately, their watches were incorrect, and this made their bearings incorrect. Sadly, Harding died just before Lasseter left for America in 1903.

Testing the Story

Lasseter would have only been 17 when he ‘discovered’ his reef in the deserts of Central Australia. This is highly unlikely, and the false ruby strike was in 1887, not 1897! If Harding was a surveyor, he would not have made the error of the watches having the incorrect time or failing to peg the claim. Harding was in fact not a surveyor but a cattle thief (in Australian slang a ‘cattle duffer’). His ‘death’ was convenient. In the 1930-31 expedition Lasseter was unable to discover his reef and had a major falling out with the leader and some members of the expedition. He left them and died a lonely death in the desert.

Postnote:

It is highly unlikely, given the character of Harold Lasseter himself that the reef exists. Despite this, expeditions continue to be mounted. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story, especially about hidden treasure. In an ironic twist in Alice Springs, there is a casino and hotel called Lasseter’s!

Are there any management lessons with the story of Lasseter’s lost gold reef?

Here are three worth considering:

  1. Be aware of charlatans! We all meet them in our personal life and in business. It would appear that Lasseter was indeed a con man or a delusional liar. Despite this, people were willing to believe his story of his fabulous gold reef. Simple but hard questions would have revealed the implausibility of his story. How often are we as managers do we believe what we want to believe?
  2. Do your homework. The most basic research would have highlighted that Lasseter’s story was fantasy. Checking the dates of when he ‘discovered’ his reef would have revealed the implausibility of his story
  3. Be Aware of Myths that become Reality. A lie repeated enough becomes reality. Once again check the facts and test the logic.

Can you think of any other lessons from the myth of Lasseter’s Reef?

@thenetworkofconsultingprofessionals

What is the ‘Peter Principle’?

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“In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.”

Laurence J. Peter – Canadian Educator and Author

What is the ‘Peter Principle’?

It is a concept in management developed by Laurence J. Peter, a Canadian educator who wrote a book in 1969 called The Peter Principle. His theory was that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to a level of incompetence. This was primarily due to their success in previous jobs however the skills in the previous job do not translate into the skills required in the new job. For example, a great engineer will be promoted from working as an engineer to management, where they do not possess management or leadership skills.

A variation of the Peter Principle is the Dilbert Principle. This is a satirical concept of management developed by Scott Adams the creator of the comic strip Dilbert. Here incompetent employees are intentionally promoted to prevent them from causing harm. In other words, getting them out of the way so they do not interfere with outcomes.

We have all worked for organisations where it would appear that both these ‘principles’ are at work!

Perhaps we are living proof of the Peter or Dilbert Principle?

I can certainly remember working for and with such managers. From the Managing Director’s son who got lost coming to work after living in the city for over 12 months to the Managing Director’s brother, who needed a phone call each morning to make sure he was at work. These were more probably cases of nepotism in combination with the Peter Principle.

A slight deviation from the Dilbert Principle is promoting ‘problem’ employees to get them out of the way. In an earlier career I worked for a manager who treated his staff appallingly and was not respected by them. Senior management knew this, so they removed the problem from the factory floor and promoted him! Another manager who I reported to, and was incompetent was offered a promotion and sent overseas to get him out of the way. He was later dismissed.

Managers will claim they always seek to hire people who are smarter than themselves. In many instances this does not happen, as this threatens their careers or dents their egos. Instead, they hire less capable people, so they are not threatened from below.

The Peter Principle can lead to disaster if an incompetent person is in a position of authority. The mismanagement of the COVID pandemic by public health officials in Victoria which resulted in hundreds of preventable deaths when the virus ‘escaped’ from hotel quarantine is one example. In an earlier blog senior management in a transport business caused the death of innocent people when a truck crashed into their car.

Can you think of examples of both the Peter Principle or the Dilbert Principle in your work life?

So how do organisations solve these problems?

I will cover this in a future management blog.

@thenetworkofconsultingprofessionals

80 years ago last month….

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“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”

– Peter F. Drucker: Management Thinker

80 years ago last month, the largest sea borne invasion in history commenced. D-Day, June 6, 1944. It marked a pivotal moment in World War II when Allied forces launched Operation Overlord, aimed at liberating German-occupied Western Europe from Nazi tyranny. The operation launched from England crossed the English Channel onto the beaches of Normandy in northern France. It was a critical turning point in World War II.

Planning for D-Day was an immense undertaking that began as early as 1943. The operation involved extensive coordination between the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations. This planning included gathering intelligence, training troops, amassing supplies, and deceiving the Germans about the invasion’s location.

The scale of the D-Day invasion was unprecedented:

  • Troops: Over 156,000 Allied troops landed on the first day.
  • Military Equipment: This included 6,939 vessels: 1,213 naval combat ships, 4,126 landing ships and landing craft, and hundreds of auxiliary ships and merchant vessels.
  • Aircraft: About 11,590 aircraft were available, playing crucial roles in airborne assaults and providing air cover and support for the troops landing on the beaches.
  • Logistics: The operation involved detailed logistical planning to supply the massive number of troops, including food, ammunition, and medical supplies.

All this before computers! Many books have been written about D-Day. I cannot do justice to the sheer complexity of the undertaking, however I will try and provide a summary of the main lessons.

D-Day was a success. Within 12 months of the landing, Nazi Germany was defeated.

What factors contributed to the success of D-Day?

Here are three.

  1. Surprise and Deception: The Allies successfully deceived the Germans about the invasion’s location, leading them to believe it would occur at Pas de Calais. This deception, known as Operation Fortitude, was crucial in reducing German defences at Normandy.
  2. Air Superiority and Naval Support: The Allies had established air superiority, which was critical for both the initial landings and the subsequent campaign in Normandy. Naval bombardment also played a vital role in neutralising German defences.
  3. Allied Unity and Leadership: The operation exemplified the effectiveness of Allied unity and leadership. The coordination among nations and military branches was a key element in the operation’s success.

What are the three lessons from D-Day for Managers?

  1. The Importance of Planning and Preparation: D-Day demonstrated how meticulous planning and preparation can lead to success in complex operations. As managers we should value thorough preparation and the need to anticipate and mitigate potential challenges.
  2. Adaptability and Decision-Making: Despite the best planning, not everything went as expected on D-Day. The ability of commanders and soldiers to adapt to changing circumstances was crucial. In the business world, this highlights the importance of flexibility and decisive leadership in the face of unforeseen challenges.
  3. Teamwork and Collaboration: The success of D-Day was a result of unparalleled collaboration among the Allied nations. This underscores the importance of teamwork, joint effort, and effective communication in achieving common goals in any organisational context.

In conclusion, D-Day stands as a testament to strategic planning, international collaboration, and the resolve of the Allied forces. The lessons derived from this monumental event extend beyond military strategy, offering insights into leadership, teamwork, and the importance of planning, adaptability and resilience in the face of adversity. The successful execution of Operation Overlord not only marked a turning point in World War II but also serves as an enduring example of effective organisational and strategic planning.

@thenetworkofconsultingprofessionals



Sporting trivia from 75 years ago…

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DID YOU KNOW? Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) beat the All Blacks 10-8 in Bulawayo on 27 July 1949, and drew 3-3 with them three days later?

Last year the Rugby World Cup was held in France, with the South African Springboks triumphing over the New Zealand All Blacks 12-11. The All Blacks are considered the pinnacle of national Rugby excellence but 75 years ago they were defeated by a provincial side in southern Africa. The provincial side remains undefeated against the All Blacks, the only team in history to do so.

The team represented Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). The first match, played in Bulawayo in front of 10,000 people, resulted in a surprising defeat for the All Blacks 10-8. At the time the All Blacks were (and still are) one of the most formidable teams in international rugby. The significance of this defeat was made more poignant in the return match three days later with a 3-3 draw in Salisbury (now Harare). And for my New Zealand readers, 1949 remains the worst years in All Black history, with losses of 4-0 to the Springboks and 2-0 to the Wallabies.

What were the factors contributing to the defeat?

  1. Complacency of the All Blacks: The All Blacks, being a top team, might have underestimated Rhodesia, leading to complacency. The All Blacks were surprised by the dash of the Rhodesians, who played a different, open, and attacking brand of Rugby, as distinct from the safety-first South African teams.
  2. Local Conditions: The All Blacks were possibly not fully acclimatised to the local conditions in Rhodesia. Local knowledge and adaptation to specific environments can be crucial in determining the outcome of a contest.
  3. Psychological Advantage: The Rhodesian team, motivated by the opportunity to make history, may have had a psychological advantage. They had everything to gain and nothing to lose, which can be a powerful motivator.

The Rhodesian rugby team’s victory over the New Zealand All Blacks in 1949 is a noteworthy event in the annals of sports history, particularly rugby.

Here are three lessons for managers that go beyond the realm of sports, offering valuable insights for managers in various fields.

  1. Never Underestimate the Underdog: In business, as in sports, complacency can be a downfall. Always respect your competitors, regardless of their size or perceived strength.
  2. Adaptability: The ability to adapt to different environments and conditions is crucial. Managers must be flexible and responsive to changing situations, whether in market conditions, consumer preferences, or competitive landscapes.
  3. Motivation and Team Spirit: The Rhodesian team’s victory underscores the importance of motivation and team spirit. In management, fostering a strong team culture and keeping the team motivated, especially during challenges, can lead to significant achievements.

The Rhodesia vs. All Blacks games of 1949 serve as a timeless reminder of the unpredictable nature of sports and, by extension, the competitive world of business. They highlight the importance of preparation, respect for all competitors, adaptability, and leadership.

Note: Rhodesia RFU were treated as a province of South Africa for rugby reasons. Their players were eligible for selection by the South African team. Many were selected to play for the Springboks. Rhodesia never won another game against a touring side before being reconstituted as Zimbabwe in 1980.

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Gritty leadership from 75 years ago…

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“I am ready to try an airlift. I can’t guarantee it will work. I am sure that even at its best, people are going to be cold and people are going to be hungry. And if the people of Berlin won’t stand that, it will fail. And I don’t want to go into this unless I have your assurance that the people will be heavily in approval.”

Lucius D. Clay, June 1948

Military Governor of the United States Zone, Germany (1947 to 1949)

The Berlin Airlift. 75 years ago this month the Berlin Airlift ‘officially’ finished.

What was it?

After World War II, Germany was divided into four zones, Soviet Russia, Britain, France and the USA. Berlin was also divided into four zones but lay within the Soviet Russian zone. On 24 June 1948, Soviet forces blockaded all road, rail and water routes into Berlin’s Allied-controlled areas. This stifled the vital flow of food, coal and other supplies. More than 2 million Berliners were relying on the aid, which included much-needed food, fuel and medicine and would otherwise starve and freeze. Two thirds of what was needed was coal.

However, the Russians could not block the Allied airspace. On 24 June 1948. The Allies established an airbridge and began an airlift that lasted officially until 12 May 1949 when the Soviet Union lifted the blockade. The airlift continued until September after the lifting of the blockade as the Allies wanted to make sure that it was not reintroduced.

Why did it occur?

The blockade was an attempt by Soviet Russia to gain control over the entire city by cutting off all land and water routes to West Berlin, which was then under the control of the Western Allies.

Logistics of the Berlin Airlift

The success of the airlift depended on meticulous planning and execution. The planes were scheduled to land and take off at precise intervals, ensuring a continuous flow of supplies. This required exceptional coordination among pilots, ground crews, and logistics teams. To maximise efficiency, the cargo planes followed specific flight paths and adhered to strict timetables. This was all before the use of computers, GPS tracking and scheduling which we have today.

The airlift involved transporting a wide range of supplies, including food, coal, medicine, and machinery. Each type of cargo required different handling and storage conditions, which added complexity to the logistics operation.

Berlin Airlift – Facts & Figures

  • One aircraft landing per minute
  • Over 200 million miles flown
  • Each aircraft unloaded in 20-30 minutes
  • 2000 tonnes of food required per day
  • 400,000 tonnes of food, supplies and coal
  • Over 200,000 kms flown
  • 277,804 flights completed
  • 93 lives lost

The airlift cost the United States $350 million; the UK £17 million and Western Germany 150 million Deutschmarks.

What are three lessons for business leaders in the example of the Berlin Airlift?

  1. Innovative Problem-Solving: Leaders had to think creatively and act decisively to overcome the blockade. This required innovative strategies, such as the airlift, which had never been attempted on such a scale.
  2. Resilience and Determination: Leaders demonstrated resilience and determination in the face of adversity. The operation continued for over a year, and the leaders remained committed to their mission despite the challenges.
  3. Precision and Coordination: The operation demonstrated the critical role of precision and coordination in logistics. Timely delivery and efficient turnaround were essential for the success of the airlift.

In conclusion, the Berlin Airlift was not only a remarkable logistical achievement but also a powerful example of international cooperation, innovative problem-solving, and leadership under pressure. It provided invaluable lessons in both logistics management and leadership that are still relevant today.

What do you think?

Note: 39 British, 31 American and 13 German civilians lost their lives in the Berlin Airlift. They are remembered on the Berlin Airlift monument at Tempelhof. The pilots came from the USA, Britain and France and also from Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand.

@thenetworkofconsultingprofessionals

Which European country first ‘discovered’ Australia?

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Below is a world map prepared in Dieppe, France showing a large land mass to the south of Indonesia, 50 years before Janzoon ‘discovered’ Australia in 1606

“History is a set of lies agreed upon” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Which European nation first discovered Australia? Was it the Dutch, Spanish or Portuguese?

Several books have been written about the ‘hidden’ discovery of Australia by the Spanish and Portuguese. However, there is no conclusive evidence that these two nations discovered Australia before the Dutch in 1606. Unsurprisingly the ‘evidence’ of the Portuguese being the first Europeans to visit Australia is extremely thin. The ‘evidence’ was ‘conveniently’ lost in the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 and when India annexed the Portuguese colony of Goa in 1961. The Portuguese arrived in Timor in 16th Century and it is less than 250 nautical miles from the Australian continent so it is plausible that they ‘discovered’ northern Australia.  

However, the legend persists that the Portuguese were the first European visitors to Australia. One of the enduring legends is that of the Mahogany Ship, a wreck in the sand dunes in south-west Victoria, on the opposite side of the Australian continent to Timor, the nearest Portuguese colony. In the 1830s or 1840s a wreck was apparently sighted by some residents of the area. Even the position of the wreck was recorded. Mysteriously extensive searches using sophisticated technology and the offer of a $250,000 reward by the Victorian state government have failed to locate the wreck.

So, does the Mahogany Ship exist?

Highly unlikely!

Apparently, the original ‘discoverer’ of the wreck was not in Victoria at the time of ‘the discovery’, and he was a criminal with a history of dishonesty. In 1876 a Captain Mason wrote a letter claiming that he’d seen the wreck and that it could have been mahogany or cedar, and the mahogany story stuck. The suggestion of a mahogany ship fuelled the theory it could be Spanish or Portuguese, as it was a timber used by their shipbuilders for centuries.

Furthermore, a large majority of “eyewitness” accounts of the Mahogany Ship conveniently emerged after the wreck had been supposedly swallowed up by the sand dunes around 1880. A 1977 a book called “The Secret Discovery of Australia” further added fuel to the legend. Sealers inhabited the southwest area of Victoria during the period in which the wreck was ‘discovered’. The original ‘discoverer’ was a sealer whose boat capsized and as he walked back through the dunes with his companion they came upon the wreck. There probably was a wreck. If there was it was more than likely a sealers’ boat or possibly a boat stolen by escaped convicts in Tasmania. Timber allegedly from the wreck has been tested and identified as eucalyptus, not mahogany.

So, like many legends, the Mahogony Ship story has been built on half-truths, mistakes, exaggerations and lies and takes on the form of an ‘urban myth’. This has not stopped the local council in Warrnambool from erecting a Portuguese Explorer’s Memorial in a local park linking it to the legend of the Mahogony Ship! Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

For more than 28 years the Portuguese speaking communities of Victoria have been coming to the city of Warrnambool to celebrate what they believe to be the discovery of Australia by Portuguese navigators. The Warrnambool Portuguese Cultural Festival is held every two years and celebrates the historical ties between Portugal and Australia, based on the legend of the mysterious Mahogany Ship.

“We are very happy to have the Portuguese community here every two years; we want the festival to get bigger and better. We also want to keep the Mahogany Ship buried in the dunes, we don’t want to dig it out and spoil the mystery, this is great for our city,” said Cr Robert Anderson, Mayor of Warrnambool.

Are there lessons here for managers in the legend of the Mahogany Ship?

  1. Don’t believe everything you are told by customers, staff or owners
  2. Go back to first principles to determine what are the facts – are they actually facts?
  3. There is nothing like telling a story to sell an idea even if it is not correct. The romantic idea of Australia’s first European visitors being Portuguese not British has certainly helped fuel the legend. The local council has profited through the story – it brought visitors to the area.

Note: the first recorded European visit was Dutchman Willem Janzoon in 1606 who landed on Cape York and chartered 300 km of coastline.

#thenetworkofconsultingprofessionals

Are you using your talents?

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“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them”.

Matthew 25

The Parable of the Talents

What is a parable?

The definition of a parable is a short but simple fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.

In Greece and Rome, parables were employed by rhetoricians, politicians and philosophers. In ancient Israel, parables were uttered by prophets and wise women and men. Many appear in the oldest books of the Old Testament. Parables were often used by Jewish rabbis of whom many were contemporaries of Jesus.

Jesus told parables to his disciples. Probably his most famous one was the Parable of the Good Samaritan, where a traveller is robbed and left by the side of the road. A Jewish priest and another Jew wander past and avoid the injured man. However, a Samaritan (who were despised by Jews) comes upon the traveller and assists him. Jesus’ parables usually teach us lessons. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the lesson in very broad terms is “show mercy to your fellow man”. This includes your enemies.

A parable told by Jesus that could be used for us as managers is the Parable of the Talents.

A wealthy man embarks on a trip and leaves three servants in charge of his money. Each is given a certain number of talents proportionate to their abilities. A talent in this case was a unit of money worth about 20 year’s wages. Two of the servants used the money wisely (and their business talents!) and returned a profit for their master and were rewarded. The third servant dug a hole in the ground and buried it, not earning any money and was penalised. One of the underlying messages here is that we are not all created with equal skills, abilities and opportunities.

What are the messages here for us as managers?

Here are three messages that come to mind.

  1. Value the opportunity. Each servant was given money to invest. Two of the servants took advantage of the opportunity and invested wisely, whereas one servant did not. He wasted the opportunity. Success only occurs when you take action. When you are offered an opportunity use your talents and take advantage of them, whether as a business owner, manager or employee.
  2. Reward those who do good work. The servants were rewarded on the basis of what they had achieved with what they had been given. Everybody has abilities (“talents” in the literal sense) and we should use what we have been given. There is no one that has no talents. As managers we need to recognise those who use their talents and reward them appropriately.
  3. Know who to trust. We live in a diverse world and we are different in many ways. The master realised this and gave talents (money) to each man “according to his own ability”. As managers we need to recognise different levels of skills and abilities of our employees and more importantly treat people humanly and with dignity. Clearly not everyone is created equal and we should recognise this a managers act appropriately.

Can you think of any other lessons in the Parable of the Talents?

Note: This blog is not meant to be a theological interpretation of the Biblical parables.

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Lions roaming Australia…

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“Any fact is better established by two or three good testimonies than a thousand arguments”.

Nathanial Emmons – influential American theologian

Before the opening of open range zoos in Australia, there was an African Lion Park located on the edge of suburban Sydney. It was owned and managed by the famous Bullen circus family. Families could drive through the park and get close to lions. As a kid I can remember visiting and reading the signs warning you that if you got out of your car you could be eaten!

How exciting a visit was for young children! As a visitor you had the chance to see lions rubbing up against your car and even licking the windows!

Interestingly, the park also provided a disposal service for the local community for their unwanted livestock. Classified advertisements ran in the local newspapers for the removal of sick or injured sheep, cows and horses. The park closed in 1991 but the lions remained!!!

Now, Australia is renowned for its dangerous creatures from the sharks, spiders, jelly fish, snakes to crocodiles. In 1995, the inhabitants in the townships of Warragamba and Silverdale close to the lion park were reportedly ‘terrorised’ by lions. In Australia, surely this was an urban myth!

Well, facts can be stranger than fiction.

So, what happened and was it true or just an urban myth?

Yes, three lions escaped. The local police received a call from a startled motorist who saw a lion cross the road and they had to attend to a “lion wandering the streets”. Two of the lions were recaptured and returned to the park. However, one lion continued to wander the streets and after killing a dog was shot and killed by the park’s owner in a suburban street.

How did the lions escape?

Even though the park was closed, lions could still be heard roaring and been seen being fed from the boundary fence. Living next to a defunct lion park were two 12-year-old boys. Now boys will be boys. One day on the park’s boundary fence, they kicked in a rusted grate on a stormwater culvert and wandered in. They did some exploring, fished for yabbies and then headed back home back through the culvert and broken grate. The thought of lions escaping was apparently furthest from their minds, and alas that occurred.  

So, this was not an urban myth!

Is there a lesson about urban myths here for us as managers?

Years ago, a colleague related the story of a business owner who re-employed a person to run the business who had sacked the week before for non-performance. Sometimes facts can be stranger than fiction even if they sound like an urban myth or an episode of Utopia the ABC TV series that parodies how bureaucracies work. A great example is the Harold Holt Memorial Pool in Melbourne. The local Council named the pool after Prime Minister Harold Holt, who drowned while swimming in the surf near Melbourne and whose body has never been found!

When it comes to your own corporate myths, I am not suggesting that you make up stories. Instead, make an effort to find and share them. These stories can be a vehicle to connect and engage with current employees and customers. Without the ongoing sharing of the story, the actual event will be lost or forgotten, and companies will start to lose their corporate memory.

For example, in 1998 there was the shopping trolley story involving Roger Corbett, the then CEO of Woolworths Australia a supermarket company. Apparently, he came across an empty Woolies trolley and then pushed it all the way from Sydney’s Circular Quay near the Opera House to the Town Hall supermarket. At the time, Corbett was creating a culture of attention to detail and cost reduction. Although he retired in 2006, the story is still shared today. It has become an urban myth in the company.

Another business urban myth is the story set in 1960s about Sir Frank Packer, millionaire media owner and father of media baron Kerry Packer. The story goes that Sir Frank, a pugnacious, autocratic and often difficult businessman found himself in an elevator of his Sydney office building with a shabbily dressed man, and was outraged. Packer tells the man he’s a disgrace to his firm, fires him, and hands him $1,000 to buy a new suit. The ‘fired’ man just grins — he was a freelance photographer who stopped by to visit a friend who worked in the building. The story apparently circulated when Sir Frank believed his employees were not meeting his dress standards.

Does your organisation have stories that could be used to enhance and build a positive and constructive culture?

It could be worth exploring.

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