The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II* tell the story of a young man rising in the family business. Sure, maybe the Corleone family business is more liable to RICO prosecutions than the average business, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a few things from the movie. So, grab some popcorn, throw in the DVD, and watch the movie with an eye toward the lessons it has to teach about work ethic.
You can't spell "hard work" without one or two of the letters in "The Godfather."
“Because this is the business we’ve chosen.” – Michael Corleone
If ever a movie quote more brilliantly illustrated our message about Acceptance, I haven’t seen it. Remember: When employees accept jobs, they’re making an agreement. They’re saying, “I will do A, B, and C in exchange for X dollars.” Included in A, B & C are following the rules of the business. And sometimes that means doing distasteful or disgusting things. Like cleaning drains. Or folding the same t-shirt again and again. Or whacking Fredo.
OK, hopefully not that last one.
“Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your daughter’s wedding… on the day of your daughter’s wedding. And I hope their first child be a masculine child.” – Luca Brasi
So this one maybe doesn’t have quite clear-cut path from A to B that the other one does, but it’s one of my favorite lines from the movie, so I had to work it in. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that its obscure relation to A Game values means it’s irrelevant.
On the day his daughter is married, Don Corleone cannot refuse a favor. He cannot say no. In short, he is providing customer service. Even after the undertaker asks the Don to do murder (this, he cannot do), Corleone still finds a way to honor the request for justice.
Instead of telling young people that the customer is always right (so often we see that they are completely wrong), try telling them to provide customer service like it’s the day of their daughter’s wedding.