Does Captain American Make Chopped Liver of Chicken Little?
By Robbie Burch
In business, as in life, it is commonly believed that in situational circumstances one is better off being proactive rather than reactive, therefore who would be a better credit manager, Captain America or Chicken Little? Does anticipation or reaction have better credit consequences?
Captain America is a classic example of a ‘reactive’ personality as his actions stem from that which has already occurred; i.e., fighting non-paying customers who attempt to profit through villainous devices such as stalling, lying, cheating, and conniving. Captain America rights the credit wrongs!
On the flipside, Chicken Little would be considered a proactive credit manager who anticipates future events and warns of dire consequences to all who listen. ‘The sky is falling’, or translated into business ethos ‘You’re about to suffer profit-losses that can cause a catastrophic collapse of the company if you don’t duck and cover”! Would Chicken Little’s persistent pro-active warning help a printer prevent the inevitable?
While these scenarios are simple breakdowns of personality types, can anyone really say that they would rather be Chicken Little or Captain America? So what truly is the difference between being reactive and being proactive and where is the synthesis of the two?
On one hand being reactive implies a lack of initiative, a ‘we can fix it later’ attitude which business people will argue is exactly what is NOT needed in a leadership role, but does Captain America really exude this failing attitude? Followers of the Avengers know that Captain America is a super-human hero with a singular focus to right injustice. Deadbeats have no chance against his Shield of Justice, villainous foes fall and evil doings are thwarted….. They dare not steal a Printer’s money when Captain America is here to protect and defend!
Captain America’s success as a ‘reactive’ defender comes from his attributes of being a strong leader, able, and willing to do all that is needed to protect those he serves. His preparation contributes to his diligence, and his consistent training keeps him prepared to fight and defend in all circumstances. He is always ready to deal with the ups and downs of being a crime fighter/credit protector.
On the other hand being proactive means setting the agenda instead of allowing external events to dictate your actions.
While Captain America may not be able to anticipate every bad guy, he is not surprised when “evil” strikes because he has trained and is ready to react. Printers are unable to anticipate the outcome of every line of credit extended, but through good credit policies, one can anticipate, “stay vigilant,” and become their own Captain America.
Chicken Little is the best example of being proactive. This would be an employee who perpetually anticipates the worst case scenario. As a Credit Manager, Chicken Little would always be forecasting doom and gloom and clucking warnings to employees, co-workers, friends, and customers. None would avoid hearing the dire warning to seek shelter and avoid the pending doom, “The deadbeats are coming, the deadbeats are coming! Everyone needs to hide because we won’t have jobs when the deadbeats come.” What business could survive the bad vibes of Chicken Little?
BUT
What if we could take Chicken Little’s cowardly demeanor and train him to hone those skills to provide ample warning appropriately! Imagine—-Chicken Little, Member of the Avengers Team of Super Heroes. If his persistent fears of the worst at all times could be tempered and tamed to be a viable warning system then his partnership with Captain America could be invaluable to all Printers—imagine how justice would prevail when we know to anticipate trouble thus eliminating its’ evil effects but also having a hero to defend us when evil seeps thru our early warning system. Chicken Little is big enough to react but cautious enough to anticipate possible problems.
Printing Industry Credit Bureau has the Yankee Doodle Clucking Credit tools to help you be proactive or reactive when necessary.
For more information or help contact any of your PAL’s
(Printer’s Avengers League)at
847/265-0400
