“I cannot figure out why people behave in a weird manner in certain situations, though they are normal otherwise. Can you throw some light on this?”
I said, “One goes through different incidents in life, sometimes unpleasant and sometimes pleasant. He programs the outcome in his mind, without understanding all the factors leading to the outcome. Sometimes, it may be due to a lapse from his part only. In other words, you can always find a story line behind one’s actions. And the saddest part is, we form an opinion about the person without knowing this.”
“I never thought of that angle. Can you please elaborate with an incident which you witnessed?”
“It was some thirty years ago, when I was working as Purchase Manager in that city. We buy materials in bulk, and we enjoy credit facilities from all our suppliers. Once I was about to finalize a purchase deal, and it was in the last stage. I must personally visit the supplier and gather some vital information about the company. So, I went for an official visit.
The CEO of the company, Mr. Sam received me with a warm smile. I visited the office and all departments. I was really impressed with the whole set-up. I noticed a small poster hanging on the main hall, which reads as under:
- You ask credit, We no credit.
- You get mad, We yes credit.
- You no pay, We get mad.
- Better you get mad.
I was wondering why such a poster, you could have straight away said, ‘No Credit.’ As the company fulfils all other parameters, I decided to approve the supplier.
During finalization of the contract, we were discussing about the credit facilities. The reply was a big No. Yet, the deal was finalized. We had an informal talk during the coffee break after closing the deal. I asked him respectfully about the story behind the poster.
He said,
‘We had a renowned customer who was enjoying 60 days credit. The business was going well, for about a decade. The company went into red due to misappropriation of funds. Despite our earnest efforts including legal measures, we could not realize our dues.
We had to write off the entire amount of half a million dollars. After this, we stopped credit facilities and concentrated on better service. This is the story behind the poster, and it is a reminder too.’
No matter is complete without the story line.”
