Sr. Aide to Henry Kissinger, Winston Lord was asked to prepare a speech for Kissinger. Upon completion he handed it to his boss. Contacting his boss a little later for feedback Kissinger replies, “Are you sure this is the best you can do?

Lord replies “Henry, I thought so, but I’ll try again.”

Lord then goes back to the drawing board, tweaks, revises and resubmits another a draft a few days later.

The next day, Kissinger calls Lord into his office and again asks “Are you sure this is the best you can do?”

Lord begins to question his work and says “Well, I really thought so. I’ll try one more time.”

Believe it or not, this uncomfortable and rejecting process goes on for EIGHT times; EIGHT drafts; each time Kissinger standing firm to his original feedback of “Is this the best you can do?”

Lord returns to Kissinger’s office with the now NINTH draft and awaits his response.

Surely enough, Kissinger calls Lord in the next day and asks him the same question, “Is this the best you can do?”

Lord, now completely fed up, furiously replies “Henry! I’ve beaten my brains out – this is the ninth draft! I know it’s the best I can do; I can’t possibly improve one more word!!!”

Kissinger then looks at Lord and nonchalantly says “Well, in that case, now I’ll read it.”

Why is it was so often choose to do second best when we absolutely know it’s our first best that’s needed?

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