There’s a new kind of Goldfish cracker in town. This one comes in a slightly different package and is made by the same company as the traditional Goldfish crackers, but it’s called a Goldfish Crisp. Now that I think about it, it’s likely a glorified chip, and likely I shouldn’t have been snacking on them every night for the past week. I’m going to try to put that out of my head.
I bought some to try with our little grandjoys and the verdict was overwhelmingly positive. They loved them, which was great, until I couldn’t find them anymore in any grocery store. I checked three different kinds of stores with no luck. Finally, last week I came across them where I was shopping, and I picked up two packages.
When the boys came for their Gramma Day, I asked if they would like some for their car snack. Ben was thrilled I had found them. I told him about the trouble I’d had searching for them. He then surprised me by saying, ‘I think you should go back and buy more bags’. When I asked what he was thinking, he said that if we (people) buy lots of bags of them, then the store will know people like them, and they will get more for their shelves. But if no one buys them, they won’t order more. ‘That’s how it works Gramma’. Then, just to drive his point home, he explained that this was like the car industry. ‘Remember the Datsun, Gramma? Not many people bought it, and now it isn’t made anymore.’
Ah.
Point well taken.
I told Kaitlyn about his wonderful logical thinking later in the week and she said, ‘Wow. Supply and Demand! I teach this in my Grade Nine Social Studies class and even some of those students struggle to understand it.’ Ben apparently has no trouble with this concept!
Most of us can grasp the idea that if a product or service isn’t popular, or isn’t purchased enough, it will prove unprofitable to keep manufacturing or to be offered. It makes common sense. If I make a type of dessert that no one eats, I’m likely not going to keep making it.
As usual, once I have an idea in my mind, it rolls around there as I go about my business. So, this week I was watching for places where supply and demand impact not our world of capitalism, but rather our more personal worlds.
Each of us have qualities or attributes (supply) we offer to the people in our worlds. We have skills and talent, time and energy, understanding and generosity. Some of us have a supply of logic, some a supply of forgiveness, some of hard work, some of excitement, some of spontaneity, some of common sense, some of reason and some of whimsy. On the darker side some people have a large supply of anger, jealousy, laziness, dishonesty, and meanness. Mostly, these latter ones are not things in high demand.
Demand is a slightly harder concept to wrap our heads around. When we think of a demand being made, it feels off-putting, as if we have no choice in the matter, as if someone is ordering us to do something. But in the case of supply and demand, demand simply refers to something we desire, or yearn for, or need, or want. ‘There is a real demand for construction workers’ is just a way of saying that construction workers are needed and welcome. If there is no demand for Datsuns, it means that no one is yearning for one, no one wants to buy one. It might mean they have moved on to shinier objects.
Sometimes it is our ‘stuff’ that is in demand. We may have a supply of tools in our garage, a truck for hauling, or even, as in my case this year, sugar. When there was a strike at the sugar factory in British Columbia before Christmas, Jim made sure I would not run out – nor would anyone in our family, or on our street, or entire neighbourhood for that matter. I have enough supply for years!
Sometimes it is the less tangible things that are in demand and each of us hopes that when we need something from others support, friendship, teamwork, motivation, encouragement, extra hands, help planning, (demand), they will have enough in their supply to help us out.
Supply and demand work incredibly well in microeconomics. When supply falls and demand increases, so do prices. When supply increases and demand falls, so do prices. In human interactions, things get more complex, and some could argue that the stakes are even higher.
We all know of someone, who was once in high demand in their line of work or their life, and who, as they aged, simply became less significant. In those cases, the cost of the loss to the workplace or to others is often far less than the cost to that individual. We also know of people who give and give, seemingly with an endless supply of energy and love, who inevitably get weary.
As human beings it is natural to have demands; wants, yearnings, needs and wishes. It’s natural to look to others to provide us with our supply. It might be time for us to look at part what part we can play in adding to the supply, in appreciating others, in helping out, in providing acknowledgement, and in offering rest. It might also be worth looking at what we demand, noticing when and where we place our demands, and seeking ways to replenish those we lean on.
Everyone of us has value. Every one of us wants to be appreciated for what we bring to the table. And every one of us has the ability to find value in others. All of us want to be the new Goldfish Crisp, none want to be the Datsun. I’m not suggesting we all run off to the store to replenish our snack supply, but perhaps if we have an old Datsun in our life, we could take a minute to dust her off and show her some love.
My inquiry for you this week is, ‘How is supply and demand working for me today?’
Elizabeth is a certified professional Leadership Coach, and the owner of Critchley Coaching. She is the founder and president of the Canadian charity, RDL Building Hope Society. She works with corporations, non-profits and the public sector, providing leadership coaching. She creates and facilitates custom workshops for all sizes of groups and has expertise in facilitating Strategic Plans for organizations. Contact Elizabeth to learn the intricacies of supply and demand.
I bought some to try with our little grandjoys and the verdict was overwhelmingly positive. They loved them, which was great, until I couldn’t find them anymore in any grocery store. I checked three different kinds of stores with no luck. Finally, last week I came across them where I was shopping, and I picked up two packages.
When the boys came for their Gramma Day, I asked if they would like some for their car snack. Ben was thrilled I had found them. I told him about the trouble I’d had searching for them. He then surprised me by saying, ‘I think you should go back and buy more bags’. When I asked what he was thinking, he said that if we (people) buy lots of bags of them, then the store will know people like them, and they will get more for their shelves. But if no one buys them, they won’t order more. ‘That’s how it works Gramma’. Then, just to drive his point home, he explained that this was like the car industry. ‘Remember the Datsun, Gramma? Not many people bought it, and now it isn’t made anymore.’
Ah.
Point well taken.
I told Kaitlyn about his wonderful logical thinking later in the week and she said, ‘Wow. Supply and Demand! I teach this in my Grade Nine Social Studies class and even some of those students struggle to understand it.’ Ben apparently has no trouble with this concept!
Most of us can grasp the idea that if a product or service isn’t popular, or isn’t purchased enough, it will prove unprofitable to keep manufacturing or to be offered. It makes common sense. If I make a type of dessert that no one eats, I’m likely not going to keep making it.
As usual, once I have an idea in my mind, it rolls around there as I go about my business. So, this week I was watching for places where supply and demand impact not our world of capitalism, but rather our more personal worlds.
Each of us have qualities or attributes (supply) we offer to the people in our worlds. We have skills and talent, time and energy, understanding and generosity. Some of us have a supply of logic, some a supply of forgiveness, some of hard work, some of excitement, some of spontaneity, some of common sense, some of reason and some of whimsy. On the darker side some people have a large supply of anger, jealousy, laziness, dishonesty, and meanness. Mostly, these latter ones are not things in high demand.
Demand is a slightly harder concept to wrap our heads around. When we think of a demand being made, it feels off-putting, as if we have no choice in the matter, as if someone is ordering us to do something. But in the case of supply and demand, demand simply refers to something we desire, or yearn for, or need, or want. ‘There is a real demand for construction workers’ is just a way of saying that construction workers are needed and welcome. If there is no demand for Datsuns, it means that no one is yearning for one, no one wants to buy one. It might mean they have moved on to shinier objects.
Sometimes it is our ‘stuff’ that is in demand. We may have a supply of tools in our garage, a truck for hauling, or even, as in my case this year, sugar. When there was a strike at the sugar factory in British Columbia before Christmas, Jim made sure I would not run out – nor would anyone in our family, or on our street, or entire neighbourhood for that matter. I have enough supply for years!
Sometimes it is the less tangible things that are in demand and each of us hopes that when we need something from others support, friendship, teamwork, motivation, encouragement, extra hands, help planning, (demand), they will have enough in their supply to help us out.
Supply and demand work incredibly well in microeconomics. When supply falls and demand increases, so do prices. When supply increases and demand falls, so do prices. In human interactions, things get more complex, and some could argue that the stakes are even higher.
We all know of someone, who was once in high demand in their line of work or their life, and who, as they aged, simply became less significant. In those cases, the cost of the loss to the workplace or to others is often far less than the cost to that individual. We also know of people who give and give, seemingly with an endless supply of energy and love, who inevitably get weary.
As human beings it is natural to have demands; wants, yearnings, needs and wishes. It’s natural to look to others to provide us with our supply. It might be time for us to look at part what part we can play in adding to the supply, in appreciating others, in helping out, in providing acknowledgement, and in offering rest. It might also be worth looking at what we demand, noticing when and where we place our demands, and seeking ways to replenish those we lean on.
Everyone of us has value. Every one of us wants to be appreciated for what we bring to the table. And every one of us has the ability to find value in others. All of us want to be the new Goldfish Crisp, none want to be the Datsun. I’m not suggesting we all run off to the store to replenish our snack supply, but perhaps if we have an old Datsun in our life, we could take a minute to dust her off and show her some love.
My inquiry for you this week is, ‘How is supply and demand working for me today?’
Elizabeth is a certified professional Leadership Coach, and the owner of Critchley Coaching. She is the founder and president of the Canadian charity, RDL Building Hope Society. She works with corporations, non-profits and the public sector, providing leadership coaching. She creates and facilitates custom workshops for all sizes of groups and has expertise in facilitating Strategic Plans for organizations. Contact Elizabeth to learn the intricacies of supply and demand.
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