By Mark Inboden

Faced with a rather large issue that “foggy Christmas Eve,” Santa turned to an unlikely hero who was actually an “outsider, outcast, or outlier” among all the resources that were available to him at the North Pole.

Santa knew he had to come up with a solution to deliver presents, or “the product,” if you will. He was being relied upon to fulfill his obligations. He used his experience and resources to try and solve the problem, and came to the conclusion that the “storm” was too fierce, and he was going to have to cancel delivering presents. He knew the disappointment that this would cause for all the “girls and boys” and for his staff that had done a mountain of work up to this point.

It was then that Santa saw the “nose."

In the coming year, every business and manager will face some “storms” or problems. Some will be mightier than others. Many can be solved with past experiences in facing previous problems, and turning to other resources in the company for help.

I challenge you to look for your “Rudolph” this year when you are faced with a new problem that you haven’t seen before. Sometimes the “usual” course of solving business problems isn’t enough, and you need to find a creative solution. Take some time and look around; the solution might be right under your “nose."

Trivia: Who Wrote "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"?

Answer: Johnny Marks wrote the song, based on an original story by his brother-in-law, Robert L. May. In 1939, May, a 34-year-old copywriter for the Montgomery Ward department store, was asked to come up with a Christmas story coloring book the store could give away to shoppers as a promotional item.

Here’s a link that you might find of interest, and where I learned the answer above.

Mark is President and CEO of UCEC.

Finding Rudolph

Trivia: Who Wrote "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"?

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