A Christmas Carol LO11529

John Paul Fullerton (jpf@mail.myriad.net)
Sat, 21 Dec 1996 13:45:14 +0000

Replying to LO11480 --

Thank You for providing comment about business implications of "A
Christmas Carol".

> Words and Looks: Leadership Lessons from "A Christmas Carol"

> Scrooge defends his former boss with powerful insight into the
> role he plays: "He has the power to render us happy or unhappy, to make
> our service light or burdensome, a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power
> lies in words and looks, in things so slight and insignificant that it is
> impossible to count 'em up; what then? The happiness he gives us is quite
> as great as if it cost a fortune."

I've recently gone through the first two or three parts of the book
(not Christmas future yet), and noted the quoted comment as very
pertinent to work.

What follows is an additional viewpoint. Part of the introduction
(these words) is motivated by a practice in newsgroups that have to
do with computer games. When information about how to win or what
happens in a game is contained in one's note, often there is a notice
at the beginning of the note to that effect so that others who want
to experience the game without advance information can do so.

My note includes observations based on a video from Covey's "Seven
Habits of Effective People". Part of the pleasantness of the video
involves not knowing who the character in the video is. If You
continue with this note, I will say more about the video, and "who it
is" won't be an unknown :) So You can stop reading here if You choose
to do so!

The video shows a man from many years ago in a time of increasing
financial need who walks the streets of London at night. He wonders
why he cannot continue with his work. During some of his walks he
begins to see children about and learns that they are occupied so
late at night with work. He sees that some families are dependent on
work that only the children can get. Finally he asks one boy who
the lad works for, and the boy says (don't take it personally :) "for
people like you."

The results of this information moves the author's thoughts from his
own financial need and problems with writing to the present state of
needs of others in the city. Somehow he begins to get an idea of a
book and begins to write. Sometimes he's up all night writing. His
wife sits on the stairs outside his study and falls asleep. She tells
the maid, "first he's crying, then he's silent for a long time, then
he begins laughing like I've never heard him laugh." (I'm making up
these quotes from memory.) The maid says, "we must talk to him." And
his wife says, "no, he's doing fine." That (according to the video)
was Charles Dickens writing "A Christmas Carol".

How much profit can there be
Can everyone be wealthy
Is all that riches bring to me
worth shifting wealth to my kin

Added value bring anew
Something never seen before
In the objects added to
And like as gentle turns to gold

Hmm, have a nice Christmas :)

Have a nice day
John Paul Fullerton
jpf@myriad.net

-- 

"John Paul Fullerton" <jpf@mail.myriad.net>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>