The Flight Of The Bumblebee

Fred was such a warm and friendly man, that everywhere he went he cordially greeted people with a smile, a handshake and sometimes even a hug.

Then Fred would listen to those people as they talked about themselves, in most cases feeling joyful in his presence and in the interest he took in them.

At work Fred became very popular as he listened to Adam talk about his baby son, or Cindy discuss her niece or Joanne's heart felt words of hope for her future or the many other people who could barely wait to share their lives with him.

Fred was like a bumblebee moving from flower to flower, pollinating warm feelings wherever he went.

What used to be a dull gray company began to flower in his reflected light, as he always cast the light on the people who were that company and not on himself.

But one day in his enthusiasm and joy, he spontaneously hugged Susan.

Unbeknownst to Fred, she reported him to her manager. After a series of secretive meetings, corporate management decided to dump Fred without so much as a word of discussion with him.

Suddenly management did not return his phone calls, texts or emails and they spred the word around the company to avoid Fred as if he was some kind of cancer.

"What did he ever really do for us," asked the CEO privately. "We'll force him out and do fine without him. That he hugs some people makes him a liability anyway."

By the treatment Fred now received from the management, he sensed he was no longer wanted there and he took a job elsewhere. In no time, Fred became highly popular with his new employer, and sales and productivity jumped sharply as Fred inspired the employees.

By contrast, his former employer's sales and productivity dropped for no longer did the bumblebee that was Fred flit from cubicle to cubicle pollinating the hopes and dreams of the employees.

"We were wise to get rid of him," proclaimed the CEO as he clung to his job and of what little was left of his conscience. "Our success will be based upon the additional demands I make upon the employees, not the pie in the sky dreams somebody like Fred reinforces in them."

But with their bumblebee gone, and demands raised, employee turnover grew and what for a time had become a golden operation lost its bright light and sunk back into the dull gray it used to be.

Dick