Passion and Capability...

I had just taken on a new challenge...and it was a bit scary!

From the initial data and insights that I could gather...the current situation is so much better than it used to be that everyone is VERY happy...

Everyone...that is...but the customers!

The "hype" around the internal success of the department's efforts was so intense...that the leadership forgot to ask the customers if they were any happier!

I was on a relentless pursuit of answers to looming issues...and pushed my data gathering efforts into the sphere of socialization...it was time to "socialize" with the group leader...

As I stood at the door of his office he was reaching into a desk drawer...he pulled out a HUGE bottle of "over the counter" pain medicine...effortlessly twisted his way past the child-proof lid...removed 4 tablets and swallowed them in a practiced way!

"Come on in and sit down." he invited...

"I run marathons...ran one this weekend...it always takes me a few days to recover...I really push the limits...I have been doing this for 20 years!" came his explanation for the pills...

"How did you do?" I asked...

"I was smack dab in the middle of the runners...Half of the runners were better and half worse...best race that I have ever ran...in your terms...I was at the top of the bell curve!"

"Interesting...congratulations" I replied..."I know that your time is precious...and you didn't invite me here to talk about marathons...but our problem..."

"He broke into my gracious "let's shift gears to the problem at hand" tactic...

"I don't understand what all of the fuss is about...there really isn't a problem...it is all hype meant to divert attention from the great improvements that I have made...it's all political...but I'll help you in any way that I can..."


"You know that my work has flipped the proverbial "80/20" on end!  It used to be 80% defective and 20% effective...now it is 80% effective and 20% defective!  That is something that should be lauded...not criticized...heck it took me 2 years to get it this way...they do not appreciate what I did!"

"We are doing as well as the company that they hired me away from...sure there are other companies that do ...what we do better...but they charge 5% more for that guarantee of perfection..."


"This company expects too much...all they worry about are the customers that they are losing...AND"


"Our customers demand too much...they whine too much...they need to be a bit more understanding..."

"There are a ton of customers to replace the one or two that we lose..."
"I wish they would ask me what I think rather than tell me what to do..."

Then without taking a breath...he shifted gears so fast...it nearly knocked me out of my chair...

"Marathons are interesting races...they are getting faster and faster...the time I got this weekend was exactly the same as the winning time was...20 years ago!"


"When I first started running marathons, I used exactly the same conditioning regime as the top race runners...and have been doing that ever since...look where it has got me!"

"How many people ran this weekend?"

"...over 500"

"That is absolutely amazing...over 250 people ran faster than the winning time from 20 years ago!"

"I guess you could say that!"

"I wonder if they used the same conditioning regime as you did?"

He didn't answer...and just looked at me with a nearly blank look...

"How many people won?"

"Just one...the race...but we marathon'ers are rare and unique...we have our own way of looking at things...we say that everyone won in their own right..."

"...or their in own mind," I added, "...but how many won by the rules of the race and the criteria of the judges?"

"Just one...everyone else lost..." he defensively responded...

"I bet you can see that I am really passionate about marathon running...it sets me apart from the rest of the world...there are many more people who can't run a marathon..."

"That's really interesting...Are you passionate about marathon running and the race itself or are you passionate about some false sense of superiority that running in one gives you so that you can laud it in front of others who do not run""

"...Do you know that those same people that you are trying to impress may be snickering behind your back for killing yourself just to lose?"

"If you are passionate about the race...then you must set your sights at winning...if you have ever said...only X% of the world runs in marathons...look at me...you are running for the wrong reason...you are doing it to put others down...and that is the sign of a MAJOR character flaw..."

"In terms of the race...you should be saying look at me...This time, I was among the group of losers!  Next race I am going to stand alone on the podium...and then you work to achieve that!"

If the reason that you run was based upon the "look at me" sense...you should be saying...look at me...I ran another marathon so that I can feel superior to you and make you feel less of yourself because you do not do that!  Aren't I great?" and then question whether that builds a person up or takes them down...

"Well...have you ever run in a marathon?" he taunted...

"Yes I have...and I won...the Athens to Marathon race in Wisconsin a few years back"

"A full marathon?"

"Yes...like yours...right?"

"Mine was a half marathon..."

"That's not a marathon!"  "Why would you say you are running a marathon?"

"OH!" he responded..."I just remembered that I have a lunch meeting...can we continue our discussion in 2 hours?"

With that he stood up and walked out of his office...

I sat for a minute, to write some notes...and he came back and said, "Silly me...this is my office...I have to grab my jacket!"

With that I walked out of his office and then thought that I should grab a bite to eat and reflect on this conversation...It was so strange!

As I left the building a familiar person was leaning on my car...and smiling like the "Cheshire Cat!"

"What are you doing here?" I asked

"Want to catch a bite to eat?  I was just in the area and thought that I could maybe find you and see how you are doing!"

As we climbed into my car he snickered, "I see that you talked with the marathon runner!"

"Are you psychic?" I asked, "How did you know that?"

"He walked across the parking lot about 10 minutes before you came out, he was on the phone and was confirming that you won some race...and then he went on ranting how you demeaned him!"

"That's a bunch of BS!" I replied, "Demeaning...how could that be?  It is his attitude that is killing this company...and..."

"Hold on there!  Save the adrenaline for your next race!"

"I quit running those things...you know that..."
"I have a feeling that you are absolutely right...but that attitude that you have right now will only make this problem bigger!"

"I can see that he runs that race because he thinks it makes him more important...he covers that basic need with a bunch of pretty words about "self discipline" and goal setting" and "health" and "personal challenges" and he really desires to have something that he is good at...something that makes him feel better than everyone else...he lacks a mature sense of self-worth..."

"OK...so what?"

"This is an interesting part of the human psyche..."


"Many people qualify their performance by saying that they are "NORMAL.""

"Personally...I would not strive for normal or average...that goal is for people who are handicapped..."


"Normal people should set their goals and strive for the EXTRAORDINARY!"


T"he real challenge in one's life is achieving what you are capable of..."


"This isn't a question of striving to be normal...it is a question of capability..."

"What are you truly capable of?"
"People confuse those two concepts..."

"Capability has much to do with a person's passion...the two are tied inseparably together!


"If a person is capable...they become passionate...


"...and vice versa...if a person is passionate...they find a way to be capable..."

"That is...if it is for the right reasons!  The world rewards the right passion and the right capability and ultimately punishes those who do the wrong things for the wrong reasons...those who are punished are seen as frauds!"


"I would bet that he is passionate about running HALF marathons because he can use that to put others below him...today he was called out and seen by you as a fraud!  He has to defend himself now..."


"AND he is fearing that you'll also see him for a fraud in his department..."


"Is he?"

"I think so...but you have to give him...what do you call it?  OH YEAH!  A Way Out With Dignity...a WoWD..."


"He talked his way into the role he has...and he'll continue to talk and try to make what he has done into some great epic legend...my guess is that anything he claims is either a lie or stolen..."


"The bottom line is that he is trying to make normal performance an extraordinary feat...something it is not...it may mean that his extraordinary performance is normal at the stretch...that he struggles not to be a loser...or he is simply lazy..."

"In either case...shouldn't he be fired?"

"A good company would do that...but I do not think this one is capable of the right decision..."

"What did I do wrong then?"

"Absolutely nothing...you made him see himself...I know that you were not mean...you didn't do it to put him down...it is probably the first time in his life that he had to look at himself for who he really is..."

"Many people fear seeing themselves for what they really are...and they internalize a false image...and work hard to deceive themselves..."

"What is important...It is what you do with this...actually it is what he does with this situation that is going to matter..."

We stopped at a small restaurant and walked in...the place was crowded...

Sitting alone at a table for four was "the marathon man!"

As we waited for a table to clear...he walked over to the "runner" and introduced himself...and then motioned for me to come over to them...

"He said that we could join him...isn't that nice?"

We sat and I could feel the visual bullets ricocheting off of the table...

"So he tells me that you run marathons...wow that is quite a feat!"


"I wish I could run marathons....but these old bones are not up to it!"

"But....you have..." I tried to add...but he wouldn't let me...

"It's really half-marathons that I run..." the marathon runner corrected...
Then "Mr. Runner" reached into his pocket and pulled out 4 more tablets and downed them...

"When you are recovering from your races...how many of those pills do you take each day?"

"My doctor says I can take up to 12," he answered...

"You must really push yourself in those races..."

"Just like you do with that department..."

"You got that right..."

"How's production going?"

"We are still about 20% defective...but that's s OK..."

"Let's put what your department does in terms of the drug company that produces your anti-inflammatories..."

"With what your department is doing right now...if the drug company did the same...three of the pills you take today could be ineffective...or downright poison...for me that is a sobering thought..."

"That is a sobering thought...but what we do doesn't have the potential of physically hurting people..."

"Not in a physical sense...but it does hurt people..."

"I guess that you are right"

His normal pace of eating was slow and deliberate...this time it seemed that he inhaled...then he looked at his watch and announced that he had to leave...and asked if he could use my car...that is...if marathon runner would take me back to work...
Marathon runner somewhat apprehensively agreed and I gave him my keys...and bid him adieu...

At that moment, I understood the meaning of DEAD SILENCE...

(To be continued next week)