Krav Maga Working Hard
By Moshe Katz, Krav Maga Instructor

Recently I had been having some trouble at our post office. Supplies were not being supplied at the rate that I needed them, items were not being mailed out as soon as I expected,and I was feeling frustrated. In particular, my need for padded envelopes (to send out IKI diplomas, DVDs and T shirts) was not being supplied in a timely manner. I kept asking, "When will my box arrive?", and the answer was, "soon, any day now."

This hindered my ability to supply my clients in the "over deliver" mode that I believe in.

Then one day everything changed. I walked into our local branch, and as a VIP customer I was introduced to Shai, the new branch manager.

"I am here to serve you," he announced. "What do you need?"

I told him that I have been waiting three weeks for my padded envelopes to arrive from Tel Aviv. I could have walked there and been back already.  He informed me that no such order was ever placed by his predecessor but he will take care of it.

He picked up his cell phone and called the supplier right then and there. This was a Friday morning. Our offices, are of course, closed on Saturday, the Sabbath. "It will be here Sunday morning," he told me.


To be honest, I did not believe him.

Sunday morning came but I decided to wait. There was no way it could be there by Sunday morning. I waited until after 10 a.m. and then I figured I would go in and see what happened. I was fully ready for a new round of excuses.

I came up to the postal clerk and asked about the envelopes. He said, "Just a moment." and called the manager. Shai, the manager, walked out in person carrying my box of 100 padded envelopes. "Here you are," he said, as he recited by heart the postal code so the clerk could process my payment.

"Anything else you need, just tell me."

I was shocked.

Today, after a disappointing experience with a different supplier of IKI merchandise, I visited the post office to send out copies of our new DVD, Defense vs. Gun Threats, Volume One. The postal clerk, Shlomi, handled my order.

I asked him, "Shlomi, do you notice a difference with the new manager?"

"What do you mean?" he said.

"I mean that I feel things here are running more smoothly, the lines are not as long and I am feeling more relaxed."

Shlomi responded, "When one likes to work, there is no difference."

 

I thought about his words.

Shlomi works hard, his pay is not great, he supports a family. He always smiles and he never complains, even though sometimes the customers are less than kind.

I thought about his words and I realized there is great wisdom in them. A good manager makes his staff work. If you are lazy and looking for an easy ride, well then, this kind of manager will make life hard for you, you will feel the difference.

But if you enjoy your work, if you are appreciative of the fact that you have a job, and you do your work with a smile and a feeling of gratitude, then a "tough boss" will not make a difference.  (I am not referring to a cruel manager, but rather one who expects efficiency and productivity from his workers.)

The only workers who will suffer under such a manager as Shai are those who expect to breeze through the day without actually working. (And from my office days years ago I do recall many such types.)

Krav Maga Application

There is a Krav Maga application over here. As Head instructor of IKI I get many many requests each month for ranks and titles. Many of these are people from outside our organization and are trying to tempt me with money or large schools. They are the workers looking for the easy boss; they are hoping to receive their ranks without actually working. These people are not welcome at IKI.

As one of the members of the IKI Board of Directors wrote years ago, "Those who are serious will be willing to work hard for their ranks. They will be willing to wait."

Like Shlomi at the post office; if you are enjoy working hard then the tough requirements of the manager will have no effect on you; regardless you will always do your work. The "New  Management" will only have a negative effect on those who were used to growing fat while neglecting their work.

Shlomi's simple words are indeed very wise; "If you enjoy working then the management does not really matter." And if you enjoy training hard and learning new approaches to self defense, then you will be willing to put in the time and effort to earn your IKI Krav Maga ranks.

Up coming seminars in South Africa

There will be Seminars in Johannesburg July 22 - 26 (Monday thru Friday) and in Durbin July 28 - July 30, (Sunday thru Tuesday), 2013.

Contact IKI for details.

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