Last week I attended a Strategy conference featuring some fancy Harvard Business School professors at a swanky California seaside hotel. During one of the luncheons, I struck up a conversation with the gentleman seated next to me, a sturdy-looking man who worked for a large charity organization in the Midwest.
The word “Grace” was prominently emblazoned on the logo on the front of his blue denim shirt, as it represented the first half of his organization’s name.
We chatted about the session I had just come from, which was on the subject of competitive intelligence. He was intensely interested, and began to badger me with questions in an attempt to acquire some sneaky tactics that could be used to better position his own organization in the marketplace. It seemed odd, to think that a charitable organization with the word “grace” built right into its namesake would be so hell-bent on competitive warfare. But what do I know.
I tried hard to keep up the conversation, but the cognitive dissonance was killing me, like fingernails on a chalkboard. I started getting a headache. Finally, I could take it no longer.
“How can anyone possibly compete with grace?” I blurted out, exasperated, pointing at his monogrammed shirt.
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Photo by Jezamma.
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