Several weeks ago, I shared a story about someone walking up to two stonecutters and asking, “What are you doing?” The first stonecutter replied, “I’m cutting stone.” What’s it look like I’m doing? The second exclaimed, “I’m building a great cathedral.”  Later, I discovered that in the original version there were three stonecutters. But apparently, given our ever decreasing attention span, one of our other stonecutters either quit or was let go.

While the stonecutter story inspires us to take a broader view of the significance and higher purpose of our respective vocations, I actually found another tale that you’re going to love called the hole story:

A man looks out his window and sees two men with shovels, one walking behind the other. The first man digs a hole and moves down the street about 20 yards. Meanwhile, the second man fills up the first man’s hole. Then the whole process is repeated, again and again: the first man digs a hole, the second fills it up. Puzzled the onlooker yells out to the first man, “Why are you doing this?” The man replies, “Oh. We’re part of a three person team. The third guy is sick today. He plants the tree.”

My first thought was that metaphorically speaking I used to work for that company – or at least it seemed like it. Lots of work, no tangible results, and always a man or woman short.

So if you want to thrive in the new normal, keep your eye on the big picture and make sure you have everyone on the team you need to be successful!

Have a favorite story or two?  Post it here and feel free to share these stories with your friends.