Once time parameters are defined, however, the barriers usually come down and people often contribute more than they ever anticipated. People tend to avoid tasks that are undefined in terms of time. By demonstrating to your team that your goal is only short steps away from full realization, you may be able to accomplish a similar result.īreaking big tasks down into small, defined steps that team members can accomplish easily is a beneficial strategy. Treating each team member as someone who could make a big difference by spending a defined period of time is the key, for time is the element that often constrains people most. But the it also reveals a useful lesson for anyone trying to inspire push toward a goal. In the story, the soup was made to seem like a foregone conclusion – all the villagers had to do was help a little bit to buy in to a successful outcome. The story’s overarching theme of sharing is obvious and important. In the end, the weary travelers are offered the most comfortable beds in the village for producing such a bounty from mere water and the beneficent stones. With these simple resources, they begin their cooking in the village commons.ĭrawn by these mysterious preparations, passersby, one-by-one, are persuaded to contribute an ingredient to make the magical soup “even better.” As the aroma of the soup actually improves, so does the mood of the villagers and their latent generosity begins to emerge. By nightfall, a feast is well underway complete with wine, music, dancing, and general good humor. Old grudges are dispelled, and the former gloom of the enclave is lifted as harmony prevails. To entice the villagers into a more charitable attitude, the travelers spark interest in a magical soup that requires nothing more than a large pot of water and two special stones they are carrying. The residents of the village offer them neither bread nor board in spite of their obvious needs. Each household they visit has a solid reason for not giving up a scrap from their pantries or as much as a pile of straw for the men to sleep upon. In Brown's version, weary soldiers arrive in a small village in need of food and shelter for a night as they make their way home from a war. European and Asian versions of the story date back hundreds of years. It received a Caldecott Honor award for Brown's vivid illustrations. My family’s favorite version of the book was written and illustrated by Marcia Brown and published in 1947 by Charles Scribner's Sons (New York). One that came to my mind recently is Stone Soup, an old tale about some hungry travelers tricking selfish folks into creating a feast that feeds and regenerates their community. Sometimes a book written for children can help leaders better negotiate organizational challenges.
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