FORGET THE SHINE, HIRE A MAN WHO CAN COMMIT.

The story Nightingales in Grey tells of a king who wanted to choose a successor for his throne. Since he had no heir, he decided to conduct an unusual test.

In a room near his throne, the king kept two birds, a beautiful, brightly coloured parrot and a small grey nightingale with a lovely voice.

From time to time, the king invited princes from neighbouring kingdoms to listen to the sweet sounds coming from the room. When the birds went silent, he would ask them to guess which bird made the sound.

Most of the princes pointed at the parrot, convinced that something so colourful must be the source of such beauty. Only one prince chose the small, grey nightingale, and he was the one the king appointed as his successor.

When I read that story, I couldn’t help but think about how often we misjudge people based on appearance.

I remember when my colleague, Stanley, came to Jewel Publishers for his interview. The waiting room was filled with candidates in shiny suits and skirts, speaking polished English. Our interview panel kept emphasising that presentation and appearance were key to success in our line of business.

While those qualities matter, I have always believed that commitment to customer satisfaction is even more important. And Stanley demonstrated that better than anyone else, even though some of his skills weren’t as sharp as others.

But he had something rare, a heart that cared about clients. He wouldn’t give up because a customer complained or made too many corrections (and that happens a lot in our business). Instead, he would stay patient and work until the client was satisfied.

We knew we could train him on technical things, including dressing better because, trust me, Stanley could show up wearing a blue shirt on light brown trousers (what a mix 😊). But we chose him anyway. And I’m proud to say, he might not look like gold, but he truly is gold that glitters.

This attitude isn’t unique to Stanley. Many of my colleagues at Jewel Publishers share the same passion. Beyond money, what matters most to us is how our clients feel when they contact us. We may not wear rags, but even if we did, our commitment would remain the same.

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Please, be like the Lord.

Shalom.

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