As the week winds down, we wind down with some tidbits for your information, education, health, and enjoyment.
Quote of the Week: “The royal road to a man’s heart is to talk to him about the things he treasures most.†– Dale Carnegie
Humor Break: Today’s humor break is a more or less true story about one of the ultimate examples of “kissing a**†or “brown nosingâ€:
There was a time in the 1940s when Vyacheslav Molotov was Soviet foreign minister. He was a shrewd man and a hard bargainer but worked for Joseph Stalin, who was The Boss. Always The Boss.
Molotov was once overheard talking to Stalin by trans-Atlantic telephone during the course of some very intricate negotiations with the West. He said, “Yes, Comrade Stalin,” in quiet tones, then again, “Yes, Comrade Stalin, and then, after a considerable wait, “Certainly, Comrade Stalin. Suddenly he was galvanized into emotion. “No, Comrade Stalin,” he barked, “No. That’s, no. Definitely, no. A thousand times, no!”
After a while, he quieted and it was “Yes, Comrade Stalin,” again. The reporter who overheard this was probably never so excited in his life. Clearly, Molotov was daring to oppose the dictator on at least one point, and it would surely be important to the West to know what that point might be.
The reporter approached Molotov and said as calmly as possible, Secretary Molotov, I could not help but hear you say at one point, “No, Comrade Stalin.”
Molotov turned his cold eyes on the reporter and said, “What of it?”
“May I ask,” said the reporter, cautiously, “What the subject under discussion was at that time?”
“You may,” said Molotov. “Comrade Stalin asked me if there was anything which he had said with which I disagreed.”
Stat of the Week: One of the most battered and criticized words in the English language is the word “politicsâ€. Around the office we often hear phrases like “Ah, it was politics that got him the jobâ€. Related phrases include “Kiss A**†and “Brown noserâ€. I am going to p*** some people off right here, right now. There is another word for those who frequently use “politicsâ€, KA, or BN’er to explain how things work. The word I have in mind is LOSER. There is bad politics of course. But the word “politics†is neutral despite its frequent negative connotation. Developing relationships with your customers, colleagues – boss and the hierarchy, all of those are good “politics†… and how most things get done. To read more, check out The 7 Pillars of Connecting With Absolutely Anyone. It is some of the best career advice I have ever read and I give this short article my very highest recommendation. Don’t like what you read … hope you like where you are at cuz you are likely to be there for a long time.
Action Tip: Good Lord, after reading that article get out there and get networking (one last time, it ain’t (bad) politics.)
Check It Out: The Heroic Imagination Project (HIP). Everyone loves a hero.  But do you have the right stuff to be a hero if called upon? Do you have the courage to do the right thing?  It is not a pie-in-the-sky link. This week we had a real life (and death) example in Colorado. This second link is emotionally difficult to read, but it is a story of people with courage, with the right stuff, real heroes: heroism emerge after shooting rampage in Colorado movie theatre.
Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley (mostly) retired after 35 years in organizational consulting, training and management development. During those years he worked internally with seven organizations and trained and consulted externally with more than 90 large and small businesses, government agencies, hospitals and schools.
This is a good read, Bill. I particularly like what you said about “politics” because I do have a negative connotation. Your comments made me think. I am way behind on everything but when I catch up, I want to read the 7 Pillars article. How did you end up on the weight loss? I am now where you were…determined! Take care and thanks.