Coaches Corner

 

Nobody Did What Anybody Could Have

ATTENTION CLUB OFFICERS. It’s training time again for club officers, and we look forward to seeing you at one of the upcoming Toastmasters Leadership Institutes. Remember in order for your club to receive DCP credit training must be accomplished by February 28, 2011.

Thanks for stepping up, becoming a club officer, and taking on a very important role in the life of your club. Here’s a poem I read from time to time – something for all of us to ponder as we fulfill our responsibilities knowing what we are doing needs to be done and will result in our club(s) being stronger.

There was a most important job that needed to be done,
And no reason not to do it, there was absolutely none.
But in vital matters such as this, the thing you have to ask
Is who exactly will it be who'll carry out the task?

Anybody could have told you that Everybody knew
That this was something Somebody would surely have to do.
Nobody was unwilling; Anybody had the ability.
But Nobody believed that it was their responsibility.

It seemed to be a job that Anybody could have done,
If Anybody thought he was supposed to be the one.
But since Everybody recognized that Anybody could,
Everybody took for granted that Somebody would.

But Nobody told Anybody that we are aware of,
That he would be in charge of seeing it was taken care of.
And Nobody took it on himself to follow through,
And do what Everybody thought that Somebody would do.

When what Everybody needed so did not get done at all,
Everybody was complaining that Somebody dropped the ball.
Anybody then could see it was an awful crying shame,
And Everybody looked around for Somebody to blame.

Somebody should have done the job
And Everybody should have,
But in the end Nobody did
What Anybody could have.

— Charles Osgood

  First   Previous Next Last