And— Why We Think Our Staff and Temp Workers Resemble the Coffee Bean
On September 29, National Coffee Day, people around the country will be talking about a beverage that an estimated 100 million hard-working Americans enjoy every single day. In fact, U.S. men and women enjoy an average of 3.1 cups of coffee daily, according to Statistic Brain. We don’t have to go into details about why Americans love this beverage. Odds are you are a coffee drinker too, and if you’re not, then you know someone who has probably already told you why they drink it.
But, here at KB Staffing based out of Winter Haven where we provide staffing solutions for our clients every day, our staff and temp workers remind us of the famous bean associated with this beverage. You may not know the story about the coffee bean, which was circulating during the email forwarding craze of the 90s (before social media took over our content-consuming world). The story— to paraphrase it— went something like this . . .
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Are you a carrot, egg, or coffee bean?
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans.
She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minute she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee into a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see?”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” the daughter and then asked, “What’s the point, mother?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity— boiling water— but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after being through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” she asked the daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do you wilt and become soft and lose strength?”
“Are you the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did you have a fluid spirit, but after death, a break up, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have you become hardened and stiff? Does your shell look the same, but on the inside, are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?”
“Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.”
“When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity?”
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This is what we have personally witnessed among our temp workers and staff here at KB Staffing. They are hard-working, resilient, and when faced with the greatest forms of adversity, they adapt and elevate to another level of commitment and expertise. Our region is blessed with a Polk County workforce that remains committed, through good times and bad, to do their very best at every task, regardless of its level of difficulty.
If you are a business in need of quality workers in Central Florida, we can help. We have the ability and the resources to help you hire men and women who get the job done efficiently and accurately— every time. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to come by our office Monday through Friday, or give us a call at (863) 875-5721.
