Tonight marked the beginning of the end for the (self-proclaimed) world's best boss. Some may argue that David Brent was true genius but Michael Scott was certainly a hero to many people. The Office will be a different place without him, who knows what the future holds... may be one day we'll see him back in his old chair, preparing to be Prison Mike .. or Date Mike .. or if we're really lucky .. Michael Scarn.
I have been a fan of this wonderful man ever since the pilot episode and as such I have decided to dedicate this post to some of his teachings. Here they are:
1. (Season 3, Episode 2) - The Convention
Jan: "Michael, I underestimated you."
Michael: "Yeah, well maybe next time you will estimate me."
Lesson: Have fun, but work hard. Michael worked hard when he needed to. Most of the time people saw him as an incompetent manager but his branch was always the highest performing and on many occasions he has personally closed massive sales. Do you enjoy what you do? So much so that you may even consider it fun? Although for most of his reign we saw Michael as a manager, he secretly had a passion for and truly enjoyed being a salesperson. Passion for what you do can help you have fun and work hard.
2. (Season 7, Episode 9) - WUPHF.com
Michael: "Excuse me everyone... SEX! Now that I have your attention.."
Stanley: "You don't have our attention,"
Michael: "MONEY!"
Stanley: "I'm listening."
Lesson: Written by Seth Godin (in Purple Cow) and embodied by Michael Scott... be remarkable. It's simple, but Michael managed to do it over and over again. Michael's many characters are what made him remarkable to me. The beauty of this is the fact that comedy was something that came naturally to Michael. When necessary and even when unnecessary, he always turned to humour. What makes you remarkable? If you met someone for the first time today, what would make that person remember you tomorrow?
3. (Season 3, Episode 16) - Business School
Michael: "A good manager doesn't fire people. He hires people and inspires people. ... People, Ryan. And people will never go out of business."
Lesson: Employees are the greatest asset a company will ever own. I would argue that Michael Scott believed this more than anything else. On many occasions he referred to the office as his family. What do you love about the people you work with? Are any of them linchpins? What are you doing with yourself today to become a greater asset to your organization tomorrow? Michael recognized that his branch was only as good as the people in it and the same can really be said of any organization. If you want to build a great organization, hire and inspire great people.
Conclusion:
Michael: "There are four kinds of business: Tourism. Food service. Railroads, and sales. And hospitals slash manufacturing. And air travel."
There will only be one kind of Michael Scott and he will be missed.
