Article August 25, 2008 Issue

THE GOAL WORTH PURSUING

BY EVAN MEHLENBACHER

There's a story about a construction laborer who worked very hard for his employer. He was a faithful apprentice who aspired to high standards and accomplished outstanding work. Because of his loyalty and excellent craftsmanship, his boss wanted to reward him. So he came up with a plan.

One day, the contractor told the young man to build a house, a magnificent dwelling, to be constructed of the finest building materials available. The employer was preparing to take a long business trip, and expected the home to be finished upon his return. He gave the apprentice a large sum of money to finish the job, and told him to keep whatever was left over for his pay.

When the boss left to travel, the apprentice went to work on the project, drawing up the blueprints and planning his purchase orders. But shortly greed tempted him to cut corners in his design to maximize his profit. He bought cut-rate materials, used less wood, and ordered poor-quality fixtures. He was careful to craft an attractive exterior, but beneath the surface, the structure was weak and destined to be trouble prone.