THE POTATO STORY

It was a week for potatoes. Ever heard of The Potato Story?

You would have if you’d walk the passageways with me. Your turn now.

One day, Adam, the CEO of a local design company, decided he needed to pick up some potatoes for dinner at his wife’s request. Lamb curry was on the menu, and he wasn’t about to disappoint.

But before heading out, he needed to address a matter with an unhappy team member, so he called Ben up to his office. Ben had been with the team for years but was recently passed over for a promotion to Finance Manager in favour of a new team hire who’d only been with the company for 18 months.

Ben was clearly frustrated, struggling to accept the decision. “Why not me?” he often muttered to his coworkers. “I have way more experience than Jill. How could Adam give her my role?”

Adam looked at him calmly. “I hear you’re having trouble accepting Jill’s recent promotion. Maybe now is a good time to address why you were passed over.”

Ben started to mumble a response, but Adam interrupted him mid-sentence.

“Before we continue, my wife is making curry tonight, and I need some potatoes. Could you pop over to the store across the street and check the prices?”

Ben, unsure how to process the request, sheepishly left and walked over to the grocer.

When he returned, he stepped into Adam’s office. “I got the prices for you, Adam,” he said. “They’re R189 for a 10kg bag.”

“Thanks, Ben. Not quite the answer I needed.” Adam then called out to Jill, who was walking past his door. “Jill, I need some potatoes for tonight’s lamb curry. Could you pop over to the store and check the prices while I finish up with Ben?”

Ben sat awkwardly, waiting for Jill to return, anxious to get the conversation over with.

Jill wasn’t gone long. She came back with a slip of paper and a detailed update. “Adam, I found the prices for you. The 10kg bag is R189, which is the best bulk option, but it may be too much for just tonight. There’s also a 3kg bag for R99. I also saw Russet potatoes, which they told me are usually best for curries, at R119 for a 5kg bag…and they come with a 25% discount on lamb knuckles for today only.”

“Thanks, Jill,” Adam replied. “My wife might need more lamb, so that’s perfect.” With that, Jill went on her way.

Adam turned back to Ben. “Ben, do you see now why you weren’t promoted?”

Being like Ben…doing the bare minimum…might help you keep your seat if you’re lucky. But if you’re more like Jill, who puts thought and initiative into even small tasks, you’ll find you’re likely to get ahead a lot faster.

Be like Jill.