| SpongeOsophy Essay Follow Through The Danger of False Promises |
As of late I have found myself becoming a bit of a cynic. When I was younger, I
was taught that your word was gold, and to give it was something precious.
Breaking your word lessened the value of that gold. Pretty soon, it becomes
fool’s gold.
My growing cynicism comes from broken words. I have lost count in the last
year-and-a-half of the number of times that others have broken their word to
me. These may not be large promises, or statements, but they are given as
such. The statement, “I’ll call you on Friday,” may not seem like a big deal, but
to me, it is. When I tell someone I will call on such a day, I write it down and
follow through. When someone tells me they will call me about business on a
certain day, I plan for that. I make sure I have handy the documents I will need
for our conversation and make a list of what needs to be discussed. I put effort
into making sure I am prepared for that phone call. I am greatly offended when
others do not follow through on their end. The sad thing is, when, if ever they
do call, most of them aren’t even apologetic.
At first I thought this was just a spotty occurrence. I assumed that just a few
people in the business world were like this. However, it now appears that a
majority of people act in such a manner. I guess unless we have it in writing
many feel that there is no obligation to follow through.
Even worse is the quid pro quo that never happens. Numerous times last year I
was asked to do things for several bowling alleys. “Just stop in and help us
promote our league,” I am asked. I love bowling, and want to support our sport,
so I gladly go and do the handshakes and talking up bowling to these kids. I
have done this without any expectation of getting paid. Afterward, I sometimes
ask if they could occasionally run a sport oil condition for me to practice on
(practicing on league conditions does nothing to improve the professional’s
game). Then the manager smiles and says something about having to ask the
owner if it is okay, but they will call me and let me know. My phone never rings,
that is, until a year later when it is time for leagues to start again. If they had
just said, “No, we can’t do that,” I would probably have gone back. But they
gave me their word, and broke it. I don’t help improve the business of those
peddling fool’s gold. What is really sad is that if I call as a follow up, I am
treated like I am the pest.
I could name other instances, but frankly, doing so gets my blood boiling. I don’
t see the need for me to get sick over something I cannot change. I can only
keep them from peddling me their fool’s gold again.
In bowling, the follow through is critical. It must be sharp, crisp, and aimed at
the target point. A sloppy follow through results in a lousy ball reaction, bad
targeting and a lower score. You might still get strikes now and then, but in the
end you won’t be as good a bowler as one who has the crisp follow through.
Your word should have the same follow through. If you don’t follow through with
your word, people will come to realize that you can’t be trusted to do business
or associate with. Fairly soon you will run out of people to peddle your fool’s
gold to. You might have a few successful games in life, but in the end, your
success will not be as great as those who deliver with a clean follow through.
When you give your word, people will want it in writing. But then, of course,
there are those in the business world to whom contracts mean nothing. Sadly,
some of these people become “successful” in the financial respect. But,
everyone knows that person’s word is as useless as a handful of fool’s gold.
Some of you may be thinking, “It is just a phone call, no big deal.” Well, ponder
this question. How bad did it hurt when your parents broke their word to you?
How many times were you told, “We will do X this weekend,” only have
something come up and there was no follow through. If this happened enough
to you, I am sure your parents’ statements became empty words, and it broke
your youthful heart.
Follow through. If you aren’t sure you can follow through, then don’t make a
promise you can’t keep. The next time you hand someone your gold, don’t let
its value diminish in his or her eyes. For when the value of your word vanishes
to them, so does your value in their eyes. If you don’t believe me ask a
child. Ask the child you used to be. Then tell me that it is, “no big deal.”
Be well,
Sponge
08/03/2005
Post script: The surgeon general has issued a statement saying that it is
hazardous to blow smoke up the rear end of a person with Crohn’s disease.
was taught that your word was gold, and to give it was something precious.
Breaking your word lessened the value of that gold. Pretty soon, it becomes
fool’s gold.
My growing cynicism comes from broken words. I have lost count in the last
year-and-a-half of the number of times that others have broken their word to
me. These may not be large promises, or statements, but they are given as
such. The statement, “I’ll call you on Friday,” may not seem like a big deal, but
to me, it is. When I tell someone I will call on such a day, I write it down and
follow through. When someone tells me they will call me about business on a
certain day, I plan for that. I make sure I have handy the documents I will need
for our conversation and make a list of what needs to be discussed. I put effort
into making sure I am prepared for that phone call. I am greatly offended when
others do not follow through on their end. The sad thing is, when, if ever they
do call, most of them aren’t even apologetic.
At first I thought this was just a spotty occurrence. I assumed that just a few
people in the business world were like this. However, it now appears that a
majority of people act in such a manner. I guess unless we have it in writing
many feel that there is no obligation to follow through.
Even worse is the quid pro quo that never happens. Numerous times last year I
was asked to do things for several bowling alleys. “Just stop in and help us
promote our league,” I am asked. I love bowling, and want to support our sport,
so I gladly go and do the handshakes and talking up bowling to these kids. I
have done this without any expectation of getting paid. Afterward, I sometimes
ask if they could occasionally run a sport oil condition for me to practice on
(practicing on league conditions does nothing to improve the professional’s
game). Then the manager smiles and says something about having to ask the
owner if it is okay, but they will call me and let me know. My phone never rings,
that is, until a year later when it is time for leagues to start again. If they had
just said, “No, we can’t do that,” I would probably have gone back. But they
gave me their word, and broke it. I don’t help improve the business of those
peddling fool’s gold. What is really sad is that if I call as a follow up, I am
treated like I am the pest.
I could name other instances, but frankly, doing so gets my blood boiling. I don’
t see the need for me to get sick over something I cannot change. I can only
keep them from peddling me their fool’s gold again.
In bowling, the follow through is critical. It must be sharp, crisp, and aimed at
the target point. A sloppy follow through results in a lousy ball reaction, bad
targeting and a lower score. You might still get strikes now and then, but in the
end you won’t be as good a bowler as one who has the crisp follow through.
Your word should have the same follow through. If you don’t follow through with
your word, people will come to realize that you can’t be trusted to do business
or associate with. Fairly soon you will run out of people to peddle your fool’s
gold to. You might have a few successful games in life, but in the end, your
success will not be as great as those who deliver with a clean follow through.
When you give your word, people will want it in writing. But then, of course,
there are those in the business world to whom contracts mean nothing. Sadly,
some of these people become “successful” in the financial respect. But,
everyone knows that person’s word is as useless as a handful of fool’s gold.
Some of you may be thinking, “It is just a phone call, no big deal.” Well, ponder
this question. How bad did it hurt when your parents broke their word to you?
How many times were you told, “We will do X this weekend,” only have
something come up and there was no follow through. If this happened enough
to you, I am sure your parents’ statements became empty words, and it broke
your youthful heart.
Follow through. If you aren’t sure you can follow through, then don’t make a
promise you can’t keep. The next time you hand someone your gold, don’t let
its value diminish in his or her eyes. For when the value of your word vanishes
to them, so does your value in their eyes. If you don’t believe me ask a
child. Ask the child you used to be. Then tell me that it is, “no big deal.”
Be well,
Sponge
08/03/2005
Post script: The surgeon general has issued a statement saying that it is
hazardous to blow smoke up the rear end of a person with Crohn’s disease.
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