A nine-year-old boy, shopping with his father, approached the counter of the archery department at a large sporting goods retailer. He proclaimed to the salesman standing behind the counter, “I want to shoot bows and arrows.”
The salesman, who had been talking with a coworker, glanced over his shoulder at the boy and said in an annoyed tone, “Come back when you’re a little older and I’ll show you some bows.” He turned back to his colleague and resumed their conversation.
Later that same day the boy and his father were at another sporting goods story. Undaunted by his earlier exchange, the boy approached a salesman standing near the archery equipment and again said, “I want to shoot bows and arrows.”
The salesman got down on one knee. His eyes lit up as he said to the boy, “I was about your age when I got my first bow!” He told the boy the story of his first bull’s eye while shooting targets with his Dad in their back yard. He let the boy feel the weight of an adult-sized bow in his hands and invited him to take some shots with a youth bow on their indoor target range. The boy’s father purchased the youth bow and some targets.
The first salesman saw the boy as a kid interrupting his work. The second salesman saw him as a boy with a dream to shoot “bows and arrows.” The FISH! Philosophy helps you see that every interaction is important, not just the ones you want to be important.
