Whose Alphabet Is It, Anyway?

Whose Alphabet Is It, Anyway?
Let’s take a look,” the CEO said as Bob handed his
thoughtfully executed plan to her. He sat in silence for
several tense moments while she pored over the
document.
Hope I didn’t make any typos, he thought.
The CEO finally broke the silence. “Pretty solid
plan.”
Bob the Instantly More Confident Manager
beamed. “Glad you like it.”
“There’s just one thing I’d like to know, though.”
Uh-oh, Bob thought. “What is that?” he asked
aloud.
“If you were the head of our company, how would
you propose to pull this off?”
“I’d work on it step-by-step.”
“But what if it didn’t work the way you thought it
would right away?”
“I’d change the plan then, I guess. Revise it. Do
something else.”
“That’s what most managers would do,” the CEO
conceded. “But there’s another option. It’s the third P
in the Three P Strategy.”
Good! Bob thought. I’m eager to learn about the
third P!
Again the lights dimmed. Again the screen
scrolled down from the ceiling. Again the music
swelled and the video projector flashed an image onto
the screen. Again the “word of the moment” danced
before Bob’s eyes and ultimately stabilized on the
screen, chiseled onto a stone tablet.
“Commitment.”
That was the word on the screen. No other words.
Just that one.
Not “Promise” or “Passion” or “Purpose” or
“Pride.” Not “Prerogative” or “Premise” or “Prudence.”
No, this word clearly began with the letter “C.”
Throughout the recorded history of the English
language, the word “commitment” has always begun
with a “C.”
“How can the third P begin with a ‘C’?” Bob asked.
The CEO had heard that question more than a
few times previously. “It’s a memory device,” she
responded. “I’ve tried to find a word that begins with
the letter P to complete the Three ‘P’ concept, but the
only word that works for me begins with a ‘C.’ It all
goes back to my dad. If he had understood that health
80 / Whose Alphabet Is It, Anyway?
was a priority, if he had recognized that he had to do
the right things for the right reasons with the right
partners for the right results, the eventual outcome
may have been entirely different. But he was never
committed to doing anything about his health.”
“You’re saying that there’s really no third word
that could begin with ‘P’?” Bob the Politely
Incredulous Manager asked.
“I’ve gone through three dictionaries and I’ve never
found one word that expresses exactly what this is all
about. Besides, if I gave you three words that begin with
the letter ‘P,’ would you remember them all?”
“You’re right. Probably not. But if I think of the
Three P’s as Priority, Propriety, and Commitment, I’m
sure I’ll never forget them.”
“I know it sounds a little hokey,” the CEO
admitted, “but commitment is such an integral part of
the formula that it deserves special attention.”
“I know a lot of committed people,” Bob
interjected, “but some of them are committed to
things that aren’t important.”
“Outstanding observation,” the CEO said. “I
believe that the people whose lives are the most tragic
are those who are committed to insignificant things or
to the wrong things. The pages of The Guinness Book
of World Records are filled with the accomplishments
of committed people who own the world’s largest
ball of yarn or who have eaten the most metal.
Whose Alphabet Is It, Anyway? / 81
“And the pages of history books and today’s
newspapers are filled with the stories of people who
were committed to an unjust cause or senseless
violence. There are committed drug dealers,
committed terrorists, and committed racists.”
“I imagine this is somehow connected to
procrastination?” Bob posed.
“It sure is. Procrastinators often get bogged down
as the result of their inability to distinguish between
the important and the unimportant, as well as
between a worthy cause and an unworthy one.”
“The difference must be the Bill of Rights,” Bob
suggested.
“You’re exactly right, Bob. But what many people
don’t understand is the difference between ‘interest’
and ‘commitment.’ An interested person—for example,
someone interested in exercise and fitness—can come
up with all sorts of excuses as to why today isn’t the right
day. A committed person doesn’t know about excuses.
Commitment means the job gets done, no matter what.
Not knowing the difference between commitment and
interest causes a lot of stress for last-minute managers
and the people who are counting on them.”
“I understand what you’re saying. Interest doesn’t
necessarily result in action, but commitment
invariably does!”
82 / Whose Alphabet Is It, Anyway?
The CEO smiled, opened a drawer in her desk,
pulled out an envelope, and handed it to Bob.
“This is almost your last assignment,” said the
CEO. “Before long, you’ll be going it on your own, to
put the Three P strategy into practice.”
“Will I still be able to see you if I have problems?”
Bob asked.
“Of course. Plan to put in some time on this
assignment, then come see me at the same time
tomorrow.”
“I’m on it! I’ll see you tomorrow!”