Explain the story “Two Shoe Sales.” The story of “The Two Shoe Sale” is a story often used as a metaphor or fable, illustrating the importance of the way we perceive and think about things and our ability to find positive thinking and opportunities. Below is a summary of this story.
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A shoe manufacturer, looking to open up a new market, sends two salesmen to an uncharted island, where they will each conduct research and report back.
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When the first salesman reported back, he was very pessimistic. He stated that “it is unlikely that we will be able to sell shoes here” because people on the island are not yet wearing shoes. He focused on the fact that shoes were not at all popular among the island’s inhabitants and saw this as a business failure.
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The second salesman, on the other hand, had a very different view of the same facts in front of him. He happily reported, “This is a great opportunity! No one is wearing shoes yet, so we can sell our shoes to everyone”. He took a positive view, seeing finding an untapped market as a great opportunity.
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This story shows that there are pessimistic and optimistic views of the same situation. The lesson is that by having positive thinking, we can find our way to opportunities and success. The story also teaches us that the way we think and perceive things is important not only in business situations but also in our daily lives.
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That’s close to Drucker’s interpretation of [There’s a glass half full of water.
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