Can You Carry a Message to Garcia?
Last week, Captain Reman gave all of us a copy of one of his favorite books and a small assignment: “Read this for the Monday meeting.” The book? A Message to Garcia.
Some of you might be familiar, but here’s a little background in case you’re not…
A Message to Garcia is an essay written by Elbert Hubbard in 1889. When war broke out between Spain and the United States, it was urgent to communicate with the leader of the Insurgents, Garcia. The problem was that Garcia was somewhere in the mountains in Cuba and no mail nor telegraph could reach him. The President found a man named Rowan and sent him to Cuba with one task: “Carry a message to Garcia.” Without any questions, Rowan took the message, entered hostile territory, and 3 weeks later came out on the other side of the island having delivered the message to Garcia.
©iStockphoto LP 2013/koun
Rowan was given a task and without hesitation, got the task done. Even though this story is over 100 years old, this simple message still has relevance today.
Think about your shop or office. If you are given a task or a problem arises, do you question, whine, or ignore it? Or do you just do it, taking the situation head-on and figuring it out? What about if it is something that is not necessarily your responsibility? Does that mean that task doesn’t need resolving?
With a mentality like Rowan’s, you build trust with your co-workers and team. With a mentality like Rowan’s, you inspire diligence and loyalty. This week, I challenge you: can you carry a message to Garcia?
Reman Wingman Jake Jankowski might crack jokes in the office, but he shows his more serious side this week in this first Reman U article. Join the conversation in the comments below!
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