英语书籍：Soup（4）节选

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SOUP: A RECIPE TO NOURISH YOUR TEAM AND CULTURE by Jon Gordon

CHAPTER FIVE
Another Bowl

The temptation to return proved too great, and as Nancy sat in
Grandma's Soup House the next day, she thought about her long
morning filled with conference calls, discussions, and ideas to
increase sales. She had considered asking Brenda to have lunch
brought in, but Grandma's Soup House kept popping into her head. She
had to find out what made the soup so good, and besides, it was also
a good excuse to enjoy another bowl. Brenda had wanted to come
along, but she had too much work to do, and besides, Nancy thought
Grandma would be more likely to reveal her secrets if she came
alone. She promised Brenda that she would bring back a bowl of soup
for her.

Nancy finished her soup, marveling at the number of people who
stood in line waiting to eat. The line was even longer today than
yesterday. Yet it moved quickly, and people didn't seem to mind
waiting. Or perhaps they minded, but the soup was worth it. She
watched as people in line smiled in anticipation of their order,
started conversations with complete strangers, and excitedly
explained the ordering process to the rookies who had never been to
Grandma's Soup House before. The thought occurred to her that "great
soup makes people happy and brings people together." She pulled out
her notebook and wrote this down. When she looked up, she saw Peter
walking out of the kitchen. They made eye contact, and he walked
over to greet her.

"It's great to see you again," he said. "I'm so glad you came back.
Grandma is going to be excited that you are here."

"Does she have time to talk?" Nancy asked. "I don't want to bother
her if she is busy."

"Oh, no, not at all. She's just making more soup right now, but she
has time. We've been extra busy since that review came out in the
paper. Looks like we'll have to make more soup each morning. All
part of the growth process."

"I know what you mean," Nancy said, wishing her own company were
experiencing a growth process.

"Come on back," Peter said as he walked Nancy to the kitchen.

Grandma gave Nancy another big hug. "It's so good to see you
again!" she exclaimed warmly. "So, you couldn't stay away from my
soup, could you?"

"Honestly, no, I couldn't. I couldn't stop thinking about it. The
smell. The taste. The way it makes you feel."

"It has that effect on people," Grandma said, smiling.

"What's the secret?" Nancy asked as she looked around the kitchen
and noticed a bulletin board with pictures of smiling children.

Grandma let out a big laugh. "Everyone always wants to know the
secret. But it's not what you think," she said, wagging her finger
at Nancy.

"So, what 'is' it?" Nancy asked, hoping this wasn't the end of the
conversation.

Grandma had an answer for her, but the secret had nothing to do
with food.


CHAPTER SIX
Who Stirs the Pot Matters

Grandma put her hand on Nancy's shoulder. "Everyone thinks it's the
food, and, while I use the freshest ingredients around, so do a lot
of restaurants. Others say it's the recipes. And, while my soup
recipes have been in my family for generations, there's nothing
special about the recipes. Sure, the recipes make tasty soup, but
there are a lot of great recipes out there. The secret is 'me.' Who
stirs the pot matters," she exclaimed. "You can't separate the soup
from the soup maker!"

"Why is that?" Nancy asked, trying to wrap her mind around what
Grandma was saying.

"Because 'you' are the number one ingredient in anything you make,"
Grandma said. "Whether it's a painting, a poem, a house, a business,
or a pot of soup, the energy you put into it impacts your creation."

Grandma continued, "For example, did you know that some wine
experts can determine the personality of a winemaker by tasting
that maker's wine? There is a common challenge experienced by chefs
that I call the 'stirring-the-pot phenomenon.' No matter how
carefully different chefs follow the same recipe, the final product
always varies a little bit. Even if two chefs do everything exactly
the same way, the meal will always come out a little differently.
Who stirs the pot has an impact on what's in the pot!"

Grandma's eyes sparkled with remembrance, "I also learned this
truth as a young girl. My grandmother loved to cook, and to her,
food and love were one and the same. When she cooked, she wasn't
just making a meal. She was pouring out the love in her heart and
sharing this love with her family. When we ate her food, we loved
her back. And no"food, no matter who makes it, ever tastes as
good as hers did. Her love made the difference. And I believe it's
this same love I put into my soup that is the secret ingredient.
So, the secret is 'me.'"

"It's the same with our business," Peter added. "People always ask
why our business is so good, and it's not just the soup. The same
energy Grandma puts into the soup we put into our people and into
our business."

"And this also applies to 'your' business," Grandma said as she
continued stirring the soup. "Whether we are making soup, managing
a restaurant, or leading a big company like Soup, Inc., the
stirring-the-pot phenomenon is the same." Then she said something
so important that Nancy took out her notepad and pen and asked her
to repeat it. Here's what Grandma said.

"The love and energy we invest into our life and work determines
the quality of it. The love we share in raising our children or
developing employees or helping a customer impacts the final
product. The love, or lack of love, we give ourselves and share with
others will determine whether life is sweet or sour. It determines
the fabric and texture of our relationships and how others perceive
and receive us. When we love our kids, they feel it. When we stir
the pot at work with love, our customers and colleagues notice. just
as soup is a reflection of the soup maker, our lives, careers,
and businesses are the reflection of the love and energy that we put
forth."


Grandma then stopped stirring the soup and put her hands on
Nancy's shoulders. "Peter told me about the article in the 'Times'
and the struggles you are facing," she said, nodding her head
reassuringly, "and you need to know something very important, and
it is this. While your company has had other leaders stir the pot,
they have never had 'you' lead the way. The past is the past. The
leaders before you made decisions that resulted in bad soup. But
you can make new soup, and, remember, the most important ingredient
is 'you.' Who stirs the pot matters, and you, my dear, matter a
lot."
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*****TABLE OF CONTENTS *****

1 Hungry
2 Grandma's Soup House
3 Grandma
4 Nancy
5 Another Bowl

6 Who Stirs the Pot Matters
7 Teachers Are Everywhere
8 Soup = Culture
9 A Culture of Greatness
10 Nightmare

11 Lead With Optimism
12 Leadership Is a Transfer of Belief
13 Guard Against Pessimism
14 The Mirror Test
15 Nancy Stirs the Pot

16 Hire Possibility Thinkers
17 A Unifying Vision
18 Spread the Vision
19 Build Trust
20 Busy

21 The Survey
22 Enhance Communication
23 Fill the Void
24 Add a Big Dose of Transparency and Authenticity
25 Treat Them Like Family

26 Love
27 Rumors
28 A New Measuring Stick
29 Relationships
30 Soup Is Meant to Be Enjoyed Together

31 Rules Without Relationship Lead to Rebellion
32 The Enemies Are Busyness and Stress
33 Engaged Relationships
34 Encourage, Inspire, Empower, and Coach
35 A Team of Pot Stirrers

36 The Offer
37 Another Shot
38 40 Days of Engagement
39 No One Eats Alone
40 Success Fridays

41 Fill Up with Appreciation
42 The Ultimate Recognition Program
43 Great Service
44 Leading by Example
45 Friday Night

46 Passion
47 Hot Soup
48 Tastier Soup
49 The Decision
50 An Offer They Couldn't Refuse

51 The Power of Relationships
52 Unity
53 The Recipe Book
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