Implementation Parable – The Fisherman and the Businessman
The other day my team asked me to detail our new purpose. I felt the conversation was constructive, but upon reflection, it ended with insufficient information for my team. The conversation was reminiscent of an old parable about a fisherman and a businessman.
A fisherman once fished off the pier and caught a few big fish daily while others seemed to struggle.
A businessman saw that he was succeeding while others were failing and approached the fisherman.
The businessman asked the fisherman, “How long does it take to catch so many fish?”
The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”
The businessman said, “Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?”
The fisherman replied, “This is all that my family needs.”
The businessman seeing an opportunity, asked, “Why don’t you fish longer to catch more fish and then sell the extra fish to the fish market.”
The fisherman replied, “And after that?”
The businessman replied, “You can use the extra funds to buy a small boat and catch more fish with a net.”
The fisherman replied, “And after that?”
The businessman replied, “You can buy a few more boats, hire a crew, and catch even more fish.”
The fisherman replied, “And after that?”
The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”
The fisherman was puzzled, “Isn’t that what I am doing now?”
In the post “The Grass is Greener” we talk about how one’s perspective and context are everything. It’s incredibly easy to see someone doing precisely what they want to do but not fully understanding why they don’t want what we want. If you dismiss that person as lesser than or uninspired because their desires don’t match yours – the problem is not theirs. It’s yours.
References and Resources
Parable perspective from Paulo Coelho
Supporting Music
Fu-Gee-La – Sly & Robbie Mix by the Fugees
Dark Road Window by Radar Brothers
Originally Posted on June 24, 2018