I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows

Something to ponder and apply to life…as well as Marketing.

Once there was a farmer in Kansas. Once a year He and all of his fellow farmers in the area got together in the town square. The purpose of the gathering was to hold a job fair, and this was back in the day before job fairs were popular. All the young men of the town would come out in hopes of a job. The farmers would talk to the young men and ask them various questions, trying to find the best young man to hire as a farm hand.

One farmer of few words would ask each boy one question, “What’s the best thing you can do?” He asked one young man also of few words the question and the young man he replied, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” The farmer was taken back and confused by the answer. He continued on and talked to other young men but after a while he came back the young man of few words. He again asked him “What’s the best thing you can do?” The young man again replied, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” The farmer decided that he was the best and told the young man he had the job.

The first few days worked out fine. The young man moved to the farm and he was a hard worked and got the job done. Then one night the wind came. The farmer woke up and was concerned about his animals and barn. So he got up and went out to wake up the young man. The young man however wouldn’t wake up for anything. The farmer tried and tried and nothing would make the young man wake up. Then the farmer remembered what they young man had said, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” He sighed and then gave up on waking up the young man. The farmer then went out to his barn to do the work alone. However, when he got to the barn everything was already taken care of. The animals were tied down and they had food, there was nothing more for the farmer to do. The farmer again thought of what the young man had said, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” At that moment the farmer then understood what they young man meant. The young man could sleep through the wind because he got the work done before it came. (Credit to Marketing Professor Lee Manzer of Oklahoma State University, Spears School of Business for the story)

Can you sleep when the wind blows? Think about it….