ALWAYS GO EXTRA MILES, BEYOND EXPECTATIONS

Two brothers joined a company together a few months after their graduation from university.

After a few years of work, their Manager promoted elder one to a position of Senior Sales Manager, but younger remained in his entry level Junior Sales Officer position.

He developed a sense of jealousy and disgruntlement, but continued working anyway.

One day he felt that he could not work with elder brother anymore. He wrote his resignation letter, but before he submitted it to the Manager, he complained that Management did not value hard working staff, but only promoted only the favoured!

The Manager knew that he worked very hard for the years he had spent at the company; even harder than elder one and therefore he deserved the promotion but he is lacking of leadership and what it takes to be extra miles worker mentality. So in order to help him to realize this, the Manager gave him a task.

“Go and find out if anyone is selling water melons in town?”

He returned and said, "yes there is someone!"

The Manager asked, "how much per kg?" He drove back to town to ask and then returned to inform the Manager; "they are RM1.35 per kg!"

The Manager told him, "I will give your elder brother the same task that I gave you.

So the Manager said to elder, in the presence of younger ; “Go and find out if anyone is selling water melons in town?”

He went to find out and on his return he said:

"Manager, there is only one person selling water melons in the whole town. The cost is RM4.90 each water melon and RM3.25 for a half melon. He sells them at RM1.35 per kg when sliced. He has in his stock 93 melons, each one weighing about 7kg.

He has a farm and can supply us with melons for the next 4 months at a rate of 102 melons per day at RM2.70 per melon; this includes delivery.

The melons appear fresh and red with good quality, and they taste better than the ones we sold last year.

He has his own slicing machine and is willing to slice for us free of charge.

We need to strike a deal with him before 10 a.m. tomorrow and we will be sure of beating last year's profits in melons by RM22.30 . This will contribute positively to our overall performance as it will add a minimum of 3.78% to our current overall sales target.

I have put this information down in writing and is available on spreadsheet.

Please let me know if you need it as I can send it to you in fifteen minutes."

Younger one was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and elder one. He decided not to resign but to learn from him.

Let this story help us keep in mind the importance of going an extra mile in all our endeavors.

You won't be rewarded for doing what you're meant to do, you only get a salary for that! You're only rewarded for going an extra mile; performing beyond expectations.

To be successful in life you must be observant, proactive and willing to do more, think more, have a more holistic perspective and go beyond the call of duty.