If you have been in business long enough, eventually you will hire a problem employee. I don’t mean a problem employee as far as fighting, intoxicated or rude and obnoxious. I mean an employee that lacks the initiative to get the job done, “whatever it takes”. I was meeting with some other business owners this week and this subject came up. The answer by my friend was brilliant, “Message to Garcia”. This is a brilliant essay to have the problem employee read.

“Message to Garcia” was written in 1899 by Elbert Hubbard as an essay, so it is a short 42 page book or brochure that is easy to read and delivers a great message to your problem employee. The book is about the rebel forces in Cuba in 1898 during the Spanish-American war. President William McKinley needed to get a message to the rebel leader Calixto Garcia. Remember this is 1898 and getting a message to Cuba was a challenge. President McKinley ordered Colonel Wagner to find his most competent officer to deliver this important message to Garcia. Colonel Wagner ordered Lieutenant Andrew Rowan with this task of getting this important message to Garcia. Rowan was a competent officer with a great military record of leading frontier military posts. He had a particular special interest in Jamaica and Cuba. Col. Wagner found him the best candidate for the mission. The book gives all of the details of how the message was delivered to Garcia in this great essay.

Having an employee that lacks initiative or not a self-starter, this book or essay makes a point that any employee could pick up. The lesson that “Message to Garcia” drives home is that it is not about a task, it is about accomplishing the result. For example, if the employee is to reach out and get information from a certain client, simply leaving a voice mail is only an attempt. Sending an email is just an attempt. However, trying every way to connect with this client and recording this wanted information completes the task. Simply traveling to Cuba was not the objective. Delivering the message to Garcia and confirming the message was received back to President McKinley was the mission. We need an employee to do “whatever it takes” to accomplish the task, not just try. As Master Yoda said “do or do not, there is no try”.

If you find yourself needing help with a problem employee, give “Message to Garcia” a try. Over 40 million copies sold, can’t be wrong. Good luck!

“There is no failure except in no longer trying.” ― Elbert Hubbard

Image by Stuart Miles at www.freedigitalphotos.net

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Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, grandfather of 1, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, employee benefit specialist, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger, author and team leader with over 29 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.