Another Night of Thought

Another Night of Thought
I know it’s been a challenge,” Bob’s wife said
supportively after he had explained that he had yet
another assignment to complete. “We’ve both always
believed that the best things in life are worth the work
we put into them. I know that part of the reason we
have such great kids is because you worked so hard to
advance in your profession so that I could give up my
real estate career to be a full-time mom.”
“Do you ever wish that we’d had our children in
our twenties instead of our thirties so that you could
have resumed your career plans?” Bob the
Deliberately Last-Minute Procreator asked.
“Not for one second!” Bob’s wife replied. “I admit
I’ve been envious of other women who have built
great careers the entire time their children have
grown up, but they’ve been envious of the special
times—the extra times—I’ve been able to enjoy with
our kids. Everything is a trade-off, I guess.”
“I guess it is. My trade-off is that I have to miss
the game on ESPN and study the contents of this
mysterious envelope.”
It was Bob the Occasional Gourmet Cook’s turn to
prepare dinner, so he made his famous Caesar salad.
The eggs must have been a tad on the old side,
because his usual concoction didn’t whip up quite as
creamy as it should have.
After dinner, Bob went to his study and opened
the envelope. He read a short but powerful story.
The graduates of a small town high school
returned to their hometown for their tenyear
reunion.
One of the classmates asked the others
to answer a simple question: “Who was the
person who most influenced your life while
you were in school?”
She expected to receive a wide range of
answers—the principal, a coach, a favorite
teacher—but when the answers were turned
in, there was one clear choice.
The janitor.
The reason?
86 / Another Night of Thought
Every day, after everyone had gone
home, the janitor cleaned the rooms and
washed the whiteboards. Then, this man who
had only completed fourth grade wrote three
simple misspelled words on the upper left
corner of the whiteboard: “YA GOTTA
WANNA.”
This man had inspired many generations
of students to “wanna.” But his simple
statement raises a couple of questions.
“What do ya gotta wanna do?”
And “Why do ya wanna do it?”
Bob pondered the story for a few minutes. Then
he brushed his teeth and went to bed. He laid there,
wide awake, and asked himself over and over, What do
I wanna do? And why do I wanna do it?
The next day, Bob the Exhausted from Staying Up
Half the Night Manager lumbered into the CEO’s
office a full two minutes early and plopped into the
nearest chair.
“I’ll tell her you’re here,” the CEO’s assistant
offered. “But only if you really are here.”
Bob looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Another Night of Thought / 87
She smiled and said, “You must be at the ‘Ya gotta
wanna’ point in The Process.”
“How did you know?”
“This is the one that keeps ’em all up at night,”
she replied. “I’ve seen it four times in just the last two
weeks.”
I wonder how many people the CEO is putting
through this torture?
The CEO welcomed Bob into her office for what
he intuitively knew was the final stage of The Process.
“What do you think?” the CEO began.
“I gotta wanna, I guess,” Bob responded lamely.
“You can’t guess ya wanna. Ya truly gotta wanna.
That’s what the third P is all about. It’s about
commitment. One of the wise sayings I’ve dug up says,
‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your
might.’”
“That’s a great thought. But what does the
management in our company expect me to be
committed to, exactly?”
The CEO considered her response carefully. “We
don’t expect. We simply hope. We hope that you will
take hold of the Three P Strategy and apply it every
day. Our next hope would be that you’re committed to
yourself and to your family. If a job comes between
you, your family, and your dreams, you’re committed
to the wrong priorities.”
88 / Another Night of Thought
“So you’re telling me that my family and I should
come first in my life?”
“That’s exactly it.”
“I’ve always thought that in business, it was
company first, family second.”
“In my life, God comes first, my family and
friends second, and my career third. If something
doesn’t go as well at work as I want, I still have
something left over. People who see their self-worth
as only related to their work are devastated by
negative feedback, even if it’s constructive. Why?
Because they think their work is who they are. That
makes their work life really stressful. When they have
higher priorities, work is important—but it’s not
everything. That puts things in perspective. And
perspective relieves stress.”
“I can see how your point of view makes sense. If
‘career’ is at the top of this list, life could be pretty
shallow and unfulfilling.”
“I believe you’re exactly right, Bob. Speaking only
for myself, the Third P means:
• Commitment to God
• Commitment to Family
• Commitment to Priorities
• Commitment to Propriety
Another Night of Thought / 89
• Commitment to Purpose
• Commitment to Ideals
• Commitment to Goals
• Commitment to Integrity
• Commitment to Truth
• Commitment to Follow-Through.”
Bob thought about what the CEO had just said.
“Our time together has really opened my eyes to so
many things I never considered before. I can see how
your list truly comes from your heart. I’m beginning to
understand why all of this is important, even though I
don’t know much about spiritual things. I have gone to
my house of worship from time to time, but I’ve never
thought about putting God on my list of priorities. I
also believe I can now make my own list that expresses
my personal priorities, my understanding of the Bill of
Rights, and my commitment to things that really
matter.”
“I believe you can, too. All on-time, on-target
managers understand the components of the Three P
Strategy and apply them in their lives. It’s obvious that
you are really beginning to connect with what it all
means and how it can impact your results.”
90 / Another Night of Thought
The CEO opened the file drawer in the credenza
behind her desk and pulled out another nine-bytwelve
envelope. She handed it to a bewildered Bob
and said, “I hold in my hand the last assignment! I
have a strong feeling that your probation will come to
an end very quickly.”
Bob desperately tried to conceal his enthusiasm,
but that wasn’t possible. “Really? Great! What time do
you want me back here tomorrow?”
“How about 1:00 P.M.? I’m starting The Process
with a new person in the morning.”
“One P.M. it is!”