Play It Where the Monkey Dropped the Ball
02/15/2024
Preface: The setting for this story predates virtual meetings, digital whiteboards, and other cloud collaborations; however, its moral remains relevant.
There was an American businessman, headquartered in New York city fervently negotiating with an Indian businessman, headquartered in New Delhi, India. Given there was only so much to be accomplished via phone calls and mail was far too slow, the American agreed to travel to New Delhi for completion of the negotiations.
He traveled to New Delhi; they conducted long days of intense discussions. After the 3rd day, both men were weary and mutually agreed they needed a respite. The Indian suggested a morning of golf at nearby Delhi Golf Club – a prominent parkland-type course. The American thought it to be a capital idea – a placid respite from their recent stressful haggling. The bucolic scenery and fresh air would help clear their minds and perspectives.
Upon arriving at the first hole, the American noted that the fairway was a relatively narrow, tree-lined venue. He was totally unprepared for the presence of innumerable Rhesus monkeys amassed in the trees creating an extremely loud din. (Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of golf realizes the impact on concentration such distractions would create.)
The American asked of his Indian counterpart – “Will these animals be everywhere along the course?” His golf partner answered in the positive, “Your American golf courses have bunkers and water hazards . . . here, in India, we also have ‘Monkey Hazards’”. The American shrugged and decided to enjoy the outing and do the best he could.
A few holes later (having difficulty tuning out the distractions of the loud monkeys), the American hooked a tee shot so severely, it hit up in the trees and bounced around a few branches. But, before the ball could fall to the ground, a small Rhesus monkey grabbed it; he began running up and down the tree line as the two golfers watched in amazement.
After several minutes of playing ‘monkey tag’ with his fellow tree inhabitants, the monkey tired of the game and dropped the ball to the ground – several yards from where he first began. (The game of golf is rife with rules on how to play balls that find themselves “out-of-bounds” and in awkward situations.) The dumbfounded American turned to his Indian partner and implored,
“How in the name of Arnold Palmer do I play that!?”
His Indian host calmly replied, “In India, at the Delhi Golf Club, we have a rule . . . “You play it where the monkey dropped the ball. . . ‘”
Life Lesson: In business (and non-business) life, one will undoubtedly encounter ‘hazards’ - - they may not even be of one’s own making - - regardless of how the situation, parameters, or scene was created, one must operate forward from that position as best possible. Borrowing from Clint Eastwood’s character in “Heartbreak Ridge” - - “You Improvise. . . You Overcome. . . You Adapt!”
Russell Morgan, CAC
ASAC Member
Morgan Agricultural Consulting Svcs
https://www.morganagconsulting.com/
Preface: The setting for this story predates virtual meetings, digital whiteboards, and other cloud collaborations; however, its moral remains relevant.
There was an American businessman, headquartered in New York city fervently negotiating with an Indian businessman, headquartered in New Delhi, India. Given there was only so much to be accomplished via phone calls and mail was far too slow, the American agreed to travel to New Delhi for completion of the negotiations.
He traveled to New Delhi; they conducted long days of intense discussions. After the 3rd day, both men were weary and mutually agreed they needed a respite. The Indian suggested a morning of golf at nearby Delhi Golf Club – a prominent parkland-type course. The American thought it to be a capital idea – a placid respite from their recent stressful haggling. The bucolic scenery and fresh air would help clear their minds and perspectives.
Upon arriving at the first hole, the American noted that the fairway was a relatively narrow, tree-lined venue. He was totally unprepared for the presence of innumerable Rhesus monkeys amassed in the trees creating an extremely loud din. (Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of golf realizes the impact on concentration such distractions would create.)
The American asked of his Indian counterpart – “Will these animals be everywhere along the course?” His golf partner answered in the positive, “Your American golf courses have bunkers and water hazards . . . here, in India, we also have ‘Monkey Hazards’”. The American shrugged and decided to enjoy the outing and do the best he could.
A few holes later (having difficulty tuning out the distractions of the loud monkeys), the American hooked a tee shot so severely, it hit up in the trees and bounced around a few branches. But, before the ball could fall to the ground, a small Rhesus monkey grabbed it; he began running up and down the tree line as the two golfers watched in amazement.
After several minutes of playing ‘monkey tag’ with his fellow tree inhabitants, the monkey tired of the game and dropped the ball to the ground – several yards from where he first began. (The game of golf is rife with rules on how to play balls that find themselves “out-of-bounds” and in awkward situations.) The dumbfounded American turned to his Indian partner and implored,
“How in the name of Arnold Palmer do I play that!?”
His Indian host calmly replied, “In India, at the Delhi Golf Club, we have a rule . . . “You play it where the monkey dropped the ball. . . ‘”
Life Lesson: In business (and non-business) life, one will undoubtedly encounter ‘hazards’ - - they may not even be of one’s own making - - regardless of how the situation, parameters, or scene was created, one must operate forward from that position as best possible. Borrowing from Clint Eastwood’s character in “Heartbreak Ridge” - - “You Improvise. . . You Overcome. . . You Adapt!”
Russell Morgan, CAC
ASAC Member
Morgan Agricultural Consulting Svcs
https://www.morganagconsulting.com/
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