This two-part column comes from Tommy Cates, director of online studies at the University of Tennesse, Martin. It made me ponder a bit and smile a bit ... what more can you ask for? Hope you enjoy also. JW
A Moral Dilemma (passed along from the Internet)
You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:
1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing there could only be one passenger in your car? Think, before you continue reading. This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again so you might want to
pick that person.
DETERMINE YOUR ANSWER BEFORE PROCEEDING.
Reframing: Now consider the above dilemma as a creative thinking challenge. Is there a way to maximize the situation?
The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. He simply answered: "I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital -- thus saving the old lady and giving my friend a chance to be a hero. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams."
Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations. Never forget to "Think Outside the Box." (Ed: In spite of our reservations about this cliche, this is the perfect use for it.)
Thinking Outside the Box (a true story)
One of our alumni had a unique way of searching for a job. He wrote an ad stating: If you have always wanted to leave your business to a son, but you do not have a son, I am the person you want to hire to run your business. Then gave his address and phone number. He picked ten newspapers that would circulate nationwide. He had 40 responses in a few days. Instead of searching for a job like most grads, he had people calling him offering him a job. One offer was to "come join our organization ... anyone who is this creative can find a spot with us."
At one interview our alum was to eat lunch. Lunch was at a local deli. The alum placed his order for turkey and cheese on rye. The owner of the deli and the interviewer obviously knew each other. The sandwich arrived with two additional ingredients: a layer of grape jelly and a layer of cottage cheese. The alum knew he had been had. He saw two choices: (1) send the sandwich back (showing that he can stand his ground and possibly embarrassing the interviewer and the owner of the deli or (2) suck it up and eat the
sandwich. He took the second choice. The interview went on over lunch and the alum never acknowledged the additional ingredients. The deli owner even stopped by to make sure the meals were satisfactory. As they were leaving the deli, the interviewer confessed and told the alum, "In this job you will have to eat a lot
of s#%t from customer and I wanted to see how well you could stomach the pressure."
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