The Parable of Two Managers - The Hines Story

I would like to tell you a story that has been told countless times in our company. Though some of you may be aware of this, I would still like to share it to those who do not, so that they may know how important it is to know the details.

Mr. Hines, the owner of the Hines Lumber Company, recently had to fill a top executive position. Two of his managers with equal experience were considered, however, the choice went to the man who had fewer years with the company. Upon learning of the promotion the other man, whom we will call Manager A, asked Mr. Hines why he was not the one selected.

Instead of answering him, Mr. Hines asked if any lumber had come in that day. Manager A said he would check and a few minutes later reported that a carload had arrived that morning. Mr. Hines then wanted to know the type of lumber. After again checking, Manager A told him it was number 6 pine. Mr. Hines then asked the man how many board feet were in the order. Again leaving the room to check, he returned shortly with the answer of 3,500 board feet. This type of questioning went on for several minutes, and then Mr. Hines asked Manager A to sit in the next room, leaving the door ajar so he could still hear.

Mr. Hines then called to the manager who had been promoted, which we will call Manager B, and asked him if any lumber had arrived that day. Manager B said he would check and in a few minutes he returned with the following answer. A carload of number 6 pine had come in on track three at 9:30 am and totaled 3,500 board feet. The lumber was unloaded by 2:00 pm and stored in warehouse number 18. It was order number 65-03 for the Williams Company and its total value was $16,352.

Mr. Hines thanked Manager B and said he could go. After Manager B left, Mr. Hines called in Manager A who had heard the entire conversation. Manager A said he now knows why the other man had been promoted instead of himself.

Perhaps some of you might feel sympathy to Manager A, although that it is obvious in the story that although Manager B has fewer years, he proved more capable of doing the job better than the first.

That was the same feeling I felt when I started to work with my current company six years ago. I started out as a part-time encoder in 2009, and was included in the pioneer batch. Unfortunately, I was left behind by my batchmates and other colleagues who arrived months later, as one by one each of them earned a full-time spot.

I asked myself… Why I was not promoted? Why they did not consider my veterancy? I felt like I deserve the spot more. And when I found out that I was the only part-timer in our batch, I felt more depressed. I turned to multi-level marketing, and invested part of my earnings. Unfortunately, it did not go well, adding more frustration.

Until such time that an announcement was made in our office that there was an internal hiring for e-mail support agents. My colleagues urged me to try my luck in applying for Customer Service, not only because they are aware of my writing skills, but also they know I needed this position because I was the only one in the pioneer batch that was left behind. I tried to apply. And by the grace of the good Lord, I passed the exam and the interview.

Though I never had a full-time position as an encoder, I was the first part-timer who became a full-timer in another department. Turns out, no bragging intended, my full-time salary is bigger than the full-time encoders.

When I turned five years in our company, I looked back at the Hines story. I realized I have learned a very important lesson in life. While many people complain about not being promoted despite being more experienced, most of us did not think that, in the corporate world, it is always the performance that matters. Yes we work very hard for our families, but if we remain stagnant in what we are doing, do you think you will get the promotion you desire?

In order to step up in the corporate ladder, we must need to learn new things every day, whether if it is after or during your shift, if you had already done your job for today, and your boss is fine with it as long as it does not hinder your work. Learn more about the process. Seek help and advice from your superiors. If your company has training materials, do not hesitate to request for access if they would allow you. Otherwise, go to option B… research over the Internet, watch inspiring videos on Youtube, or read similar articles in LinkedIn. There are thousands of articles written by powerful thought leaders that you can connect with, from business, politics, entertainment, and education.

Life is an adventurous journey of learning and exploring new things, not only in the corporate world, but also, more importantly, in the real world. By doing so, I am sure that in God’s time, not only you will get the promotion you want, but also become more confident in yourself so you can excel further and reach the top towards success and greatness. But once you get there, you must not forget to look back where you came from, and try to influence others who are willing to emulate what you have done, so that every one of us may get a chance to establish our respective legacies for generations to come, and become legends in our own right.

I, the Pooch, have spoken.