Management Stories # 12 - Career Planning

This short story - it's a joke really - can be used to illustrate attitudes to developing young people, career direction, and especially the advice and aspirations of parents and coaches, which might be different to the dreams of the individual...

In a circus, the Bearded Lady and the World's Strongest Man fell in love, and decided to start a family.

Soon the Bearded Lady fell pregnant.

A few weeks before she was due to give birth, the Bearded Lady and the circus ring-master were talking.

"How's it going?" the ring-master asked, "Are you well?"

"Yes thanks - we are very excited," said the bearded lady, "We have so many plans for the baby - we want to be supportive parents."

"That's nice," said the ring-master, "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"Oh, we really don't mind as long as it's healthy," said the Bearded Lady, "And it fits into the cannon.."

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With this kind of advanced (?) thinking and planning by the Parents, what career options would be available for the kid? We must leave the kids to bloom step-by-step naturally, and nurture and coach them, with unobtrusive guidance for them to find their natural talents and real calling.

Same thing applies to Office environment as well. We must allow our subordinates to be on their own, identify and coach talent and put "right people in the right job".