By Steve Moran
The Toaster That Changed Everything
In Gary Ridge’s book “Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It: Learning Moments from an Everyday CEO of a Multi-Billion-Dollar Company,” one of the things he focuses on is the role of a company’s purpose in determining how that company runs.
He makes this observation “from a child’s point of view”:
There is this box on the kitchen counter with slots in it, and ultimately the child learns that it is a toaster.
The child then asks “What’s its purpose?”
“To toast bread.”
But why do you want to toast bread?
“Because toasted bread tastes better than untoasted bread.”
Why does it taste better?
“Because the crusty surface creates a solid foundation to add butter and grape jelly that you like so much, and it gives me pleasure to serve you that way.”
But why is that? “Because it sends you off to school feeling loved. This is my way of telling you that you belong to our family.”
So it turns out that this electric box on the kitchen counter is not just a toaster — it’s a “love experience delivery system.”
The Purpose of Senior Living: Going Beyond the Obvious
As I am sitting in my hot tub reading this last evening, my head starts spinning with this question: What is the purpose of senior living?
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