When I saw this article title, Lionel A.Mitchell appeared to my mind abruptly and clearly, who was my global marketing teacher of EMBA at Sun Yat-sen University in 2001 autumn semester. Maybe I am off the subject, but I just want to share something on him with you.
After the final exam of that semester, Mitchell would leave for Canada, his hometown. And he won't teach in China and other countries again because of his old age. So my classmates decided that another two classmates and I guided him to Danxia Mountain, Shaoguan.
I have a vivid memory of his hard-working during the travelling now. When we were on the train to shaoguan, he was correcting the exam paper of another MBA class. Because of the English paper, students should answer in English. My classmates were talking with each other and I was watching him correcting the paper but said nothing. I found he was so hard at correcting every word’s spelling, every key point of the answers. If the students didn’t write the points, he supplemented the missing points. He was strict in every paper, so he just finished 4-5 papers in more than 3 hours. On one hand, the paper was so long, including the questions and cases’ analysis, but I thought the main reason of his “inefficiencies” was that he corrected every main point and supplemented the missing points.
I was a little curious about what he did, so I asked him at lunch why he did so. I was shocked by his answer” I wanted every student to know the right answer and know how to do a good marketing plan, as I cant’explain the paper for you any more in the next semester, but I hope when you get back the paper, you do know the answer for reference.” What a simple but moving answer! ?I couldn’t hurt his heart and his seriousness by telling him we wouldn’t get back the paper forever. I was in deep and complicated thought at that time.
The details are fresh in my memory although 15 years passed. I want to know what he is up now, my dear hard, considerable and respected teacher and friend.
附2010年Q空間隨筆：
重拾舊詩-- In Students' Later years
In Students' Later years
In later years when life might seem dark or stormy,
Think back on the days when you were trying to learn Marketing from me, Lionel Mitchell.
The obstacles were many,difficulties large and challenges seemingly impossilbe
Yet, you pressed on ,and on,and on; and in the end nothing was insurmountable.
You traveled life's road with a strange teacher whom you did not know of him what to make.
Fearing to explore,let yourself freely go, and learning mistakes make when chance you take.
You had classmates as companions travelling along each Wednesday,Saturday, and Sunday.
Who, no doubt,helped to make clouds and darkness of the mind fade away.
Now, in their stead remaining to this day :
Are the learning experiences,friendship,and strength of caharacter
To see you through the darkest days when you could summon up
Similar courage and tackle whatever comes in unique ways.
Lionel A. Mitchell, Guangzhou, January 16, 2002 at 7:00 a.m.
昨天整理公司打包回的個人物品，看到當(dāng)年市場營銷老師Lionel Mitchell回加拿大時贈送給我的這首詩，其大意是勉勵我在今后的人生道理上無論遇到什么挫折一定要堅持不懈，勇往直前便可渡過任何難關(guān)，重見天日。經(jīng)過這么多年，特別是面臨重重困難的今年，對這首詩寓意的理解更深刻了，感觸也更深！恰逢中秋時節(jié)，一番傷感在心頭，不知他現(xiàn)在還好嗎？當(dāng)年的我實在太忙，要照顧年幼的孩子，工作忙忙碌碌，周末甚至晚上還得去中大上課，根本無暇顧及太多，多次想給他寫信總是未提筆。今天看到這首詩不禁潸然淚下，有些東西錯過了也許無法重來！
備注：Lionel Mitchell是加拿大人，一生經(jīng)歷豐富，曾在美國、歐洲、印度、新加坡等許多國家工作或旅行過，自己曾經(jīng)擁有幾家高科技公司，在全球市場營銷方面有很深的研究及獨到的見解。任我們課時已經(jīng)六十多歲了，屬支教性質(zhì)，每月工資才四千多，不夠他的生活費，但他憑著將先進(jìn)的市場營銷理念傳遞給他熱愛的中國的熱情離開親人來到中國。他為人謙遜，教學(xué)嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)，對我們做的市場調(diào)查報告的批改極其認(rèn)真。當(dāng)時與他閑聊時曾問及過他這么大年齡了，為什么不好好在家享福，享受天倫之樂？他的回答令我感動，他說他一生中去過很多國家，每當(dāng)?shù)侥切└F苦的國度，經(jīng)濟(jì)落后的現(xiàn)狀使他堪憂，他希望在他有生之年能將他所掌握的知識傳遞給當(dāng)?shù)氐奶熘溩樱屗麄內(nèi)ジ淖儸F(xiàn)狀。他的這種想法相對渺小的個人來說確實是太宏大了，很多人也許會一笑而過。可是，他的這種奉獻(xiàn)精神是值得我們學(xué)習(xí)的，如果我們每個人都有這種想法，且盡其所能做好每一件事，扮好每一個角色，還有什么理想不可能實現(xiàn)呢？！
