The newspaper reaches us after passing hundreds of hands, miles of transportation, and finally the sweats of the paperboy. What does it take to be a paperboy? Definitely, you need several skills to be one. You got to balance yourself and the huge stock of papers on the carrier and both sides of the handle bar of your bicycle.
You got to move swift as a sparrow through narrow streets. You got to protect the papers from the rain, dirt, and other things. And finally, you got to DELIVER - at the right time, at the right place. I came across an interesting book titled "Rain: What a Paperboy Learned About Business" by Jeffrey J. Fox. Though the book is written in an American context, the concepts discussed holds in any environment. The author lists some great people of the U.S.A., who were paperboys in their early years. The list includes Isaac Asimov, physicist, Warren Buffett, investor, Tom Cruise, actor, Thomas Alva Edison, inventor, Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights activist, Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com, and many others. Immediately, I thought of our own Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who used to deliver papers in his hometown.
Jeffrey Fox observes that most of those who've worked as paperboys are successful in several fields. He even suggests that hiring former paperboys is smart business. He explains the importance of sincerity, dedication, hard work, and all other qualities essential for a paperboy, which are as essential to any business. He uses a simple case study of an enthusiastic teenager named Rain, and applies his experience to common business strategies. It's a very simple book with a great attitude. Worth keeping in offices to boost employee commitment.
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