Lessons in Business — An Unexpected Source
I once heard a business coach speak about lessons he learned from a surprising source. Because of his documented success, I knew something powerful was coming, and I didn’t want to miss a second.
During his presentation, I was completely captivated. Head down in my notebook, scribbling notes as I tried my best to keep up with his presentation.
What I didn’t realize at the time was how powerful his message would be in the coming years. At the time, I was in my early twenties — still learning about business, perseverance, life, etc.
I gained quite a bit of insight. But the message in his training wasn’t from a source I’d considered to be one of value. Not for business professionals, anyway.
But I was wrong. Or maybe naive.
It wasn’t until I became a parent that I started to hear this message with a bit more clarity.
Then, while eating breakfast with my 3-year-old, I heard something come out of my TV. And it triggered the memory of that training 15+ years ago. I’m pretty sure I did a dog-like head tilt to hear more clearly.
Sitting there, next to my milk mustached toddler, I had an “ah-ha!” moment.
The deep philosophical training I encountered all those years ago — and now again as a parent — credited to . . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
A kid’s cartoon.
Yep, you read that right. Allow me to explain.
As a writer, research is a critical part of my process. Without it, what’s the point? (There’s a side tangent here, on which I’ll likely write later. But for now, research is the idea.) And listening to this cartoon, the business parallels about research, or investigation in this case, became comically similar.
We were watching Mira, Royal Detective on Disney Jr.
To set this up, here’s an annotated version of the cartoon:
- Mira, Royal detective (lead character) is busy solving a case for a friend. Another friend needs her help to locate a missing doll. So her sidekick assistants decide that they can step in to investigate during Mira’s absence.
- Shortly after they begin, Mira reappears. But, she lets them lead the investigation and offers help when needed. After hearing some of their ideas, she gives them a few helpful hints.
Her suggestions?
Read these. . .then see if they don’t sound like ideas you can — or do — apply to your business or job practices.
- Identify the problem.
- Examine what you know so far.
- Come up with a plan of action.
- Ask questions to help find out information.
Brilliant, right? In a cartoon. Mind. Blown.
The sidekicks go on to ask random questions to random passers-by. Guided by experience, Mira suggests that they ask more relevant questions. To the right person — the one who’s best suited to answer their questions.
Isn’t this what we do as writers? Research, ask questions, dig deeper, ask questions to find clues? Clues for better writing? Clues to better relate to our prospect? Clues that lead to information to support our idea?
Then, a little later in the episode, as I’m washing Cheerios out of a bowl, I hear the theme song.
“Look a little closer. . . open your notebook. . .ask all the questions. . .follow your senses. . .focus on every clue. . .listen for answers. . .find what you’re after.”
My jaw hit the ground. Gobsmacked.
Standing in the kitchen cleaning up the breakfast mess, and I’m hearing business messages. From a kid’s cartoon.
Then I thought back to that training from 15+ years ago.
All I could do was shake my head in awe. Impressed with Disney. Impressed with the trainer years ago. And impressed with what my kid was learning. And with what I was hearing.
Lessons are everywhere.
But the source doesn’t always have to be a sophisticated, professional event.
Or corporate training.
Or a college course.
Yes, these all offer more in-depth, adult-level learning. But how impressive is it that these lessons can be boiled down to something so basic? In such an easy-to-understand manner, that they can be expressed — In.a.Cartoon!
There was more to the episode, but that prompted a new train of thought. So, stay tuned for another installment of “let’s learn from cartoons” coming soon. :)
For now, I’m curious about what business lesson I’ll hear in my toddler’s next choice of cartoons.
Time will tell. But I’m sure to get a good dose of business wisdom in the form of silly, animated characters and a light-hearted story.
~~~
Oh, and the movie from earlier?
Finding Nemo.
The message?
Dory’s happy-go-lucky persistence to “just keep swimming” when life gets you down.
