Learning from the Amish

Years ago, I worked with an Amish company and really enjoyed it. The leader of the company was a tremendous man, filled with integrity.

I initially approached their company with a little discomfort, because I assumed they would be different. I found they were more fun and more like the other companies I got to work with.

They certainly were conservative. But it wasn't like working with a bunch of monks. They interacted, they disagreed, they had issues and they dealt with them just like everyone else. They also had a sense of humor. I saw what amounted to an Amish stand-up comedy routine during a convention--it was side-splitting, very funny and at the same time appropriate.

Once, I was sitting with their President in his office during a snow storm. The phone rang and he said, "I see, that's OK." Then he laughed. I asked what was up. He told me one of his workers called in and said he wasn't going to make it into work because, due to the storm, they had no electricity at his house."

I stared back and said, "So why was that funny?" He said, "Barry, he's Amish, his house has never had electricity. He was pulling my leg. That's Amish humor."

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
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