My daughter and I had to make a quick trip out to the store to pickup some groceries. As we walked in, the store had a rather large collection of gumball machines. I have always thought this about as devious ploy as putting toys on the diaper isle, but it is one of the best placement techniques I’ve seen.

Before we even got in the door, my daughter began informing me that she was going to stop and look at the gumball machines (boy is her future husband in trouble). Needless to say, I didn’t see the harm because I didn’t have any quarters - so I could say no without any guilt whatsoever.

In the mix of these 10 machines, there was one that had an “out of order” sign taped on it. As my daughter walked down the line jiggling handle after handle, I informed her one of the machines was broken.

She looked back at me and told me she was going to try it anyway.

I protested, but she insisted once again. Shrugging, I figured, “What could it hurt?”

Click, click, click went the gumball machine and then I heard the most interesting thing - the plop, plop of what sounded like 2 gumballs.

She clapped her hands together in delight, and reached to open the trap door as she cupped her other hand underneath the trough… and sure enough there were 2 gumballs.

So I gave it a whirl: Click, click, click went the gumball machine and then - plop, plop. Yep, the gumball machine was broken, alright. But not in the house’s favor.

Lessons learned:

1. Never quit ‘jiggling the handle’.
2. Do not trust the labels life puts on things.

Does your rule to deal with a single occurrence of misdeed adversely affect the other 99% of your customers?

How many of you have experienced the broad hand of “justice” due to a fellow associates selfish behavior? Have you not felt slighted because of a broad and over-arching policy that restricts everyone due to a few people’s negligence?

Now, think of how your customers feel when you implement broad and sweeping ”policies” because of one moment of pain or exposure.

It is easy to become myopic - and see only the pain inflicted by one instance of wrong-doing.

In business we must resist striking hard and fast rules due to a moment of pain; we must forcibly calm ourselves and step away from the situation to allow our mind an opportunity to calm down, relax, and regain perspective.

All to often we find ourselves reacting to a situation rather than planning on how to proactively avoid it. Surely, sometimes painful or difficult tasks cannot be avoided - only endured. However, throughout the experience we must maintain our sights upon the greater vision of our goal; If we focus too intently upon the hurdle right in front of us we may just miss where to place our foot on the other side.

By maintaining the obstacle in front of us in the peripheral of our mind’s eye and focusing on the goal ahead of us can we prevent ourselves from be pulled back into the daily grind of act-and-react so many in Corporate Americans fail to see past - and help us keep the relative stress at bay.

So next time you are tempted to jump the gun and react - remember, your ability to clearly perceive the issue at hand and decide upon an appropriate response is a clear indication of your character as a person.

Do not allow this moment to define you, but allow yourself to define this as your moment.

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. Ken is also the Director of Technology at Kearns Business Solutions.

Vision is the first thing I think every person must have; I call it “walking your critical path“. By soul-searching, goal-setting, learning yourself, or whatever you may call it, you learn those things that you put first - those things most dear to you. Is that enough?

No, I don’t think so. In life, I believe there are 5 truths that really make a person strong - 5 resounding principles that make you, well -  YOU!

About 10 days ago, I posted on 1 of them: Vision. So the next, natural question involves commitment. Are you committed to walking your critical path - your vision?

I have been practicing a form of Aikido for almost 2 years now. Aikido is a very subtle martial art, very unlike Karate or Thai Kick Boxing. It involves reading your opponents movements and redirecting the energy they offer in the attack - not combating it force-on-force.

One of the key things I am taught is to move, to enter, to commit to action and pursue an outcome of my choosing. I’m still learning how to get to that outcome and expect many more years of practice before I can expect the door of wisdom to crack open. What is important, however, is that I commit. I commit to pursue an outcome and move accordingly. If I falter, or pause (and I have faltered and paused), the attacker almost always demolishes me - seeking their own outcome.

The same is very true in almost every aspect of life, and especially in business. Business compels you to act, yet I see so many choosing to stick their head in the proverbial sand. What are they afraid of? What is it that makes them take pause?

Laziness, stupidity, stuck in a rut, closed-mindedness, [clinging to] tradition, fear of the future, bullheadedness, pigheadedness, noheadedness? - Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles.

All of these things are reasons (admitted or not) that give individuals and companies pause - that cause them to falter. Lack of vision, and lack of commitment to that vision, is a killer.

You will have peaks and valleys in business, and in your life. The view at the tops of the peaks are spectacular and don’t take much energy or commitment to sustain. However, the valleys are riddled with doubts and fears. It is your commitment, and clear focus on your vision, that allows you to climb back up your next peak. When you loose either, you risk falling down - or worse - settling.