The Daily Telegraph

THE OLD FORESTER AND HIS SON

Mark Price, former MD of Waitrose, shares his workplace fables – true stories from the business front line that can teach us lessons about career success

- Workplace Fables: 147 True Life Stories, by Mark Price, is published by Stour Publishing. To order your copy for £8.99 plus p&p, call 0844 871 1514 or visit books. telegraph.co.uk Share your fables and learn about Mark’s mission to improve workplace hap

For 40 years, the Old Forester had tended his 1,000 acres of woodland. Each year he cleared and replanted 50 acres – a perfect cycle, as over 20 years the trees grew to the ideal size to cut and sell. The work was hard but his family lived well enough.

When the forester’s son took over, he followed his father’s routine. But then, one year, after he had married and had a family, the Young Forester decided he needed an exotic holiday.

“You deserve it,” said his wife.

“My father never enjoyed himself. I’m going to chop down 70 acres. Who cares if, in 20 years, the trees are a little less well grown?” he said. The family went on holiday and liked it so much they booked again for next year.

That winter was one of the coldest the forest had known. The Young Forester could not keep his house warm. Demand for firewood soared and he worked hard to cut down more trees, making a lot of money.

“Why don’t we use it to extend our home?” suggested his wife. So, instead of investing in new saplings for the forest for next year, the Young Forester spent the money.

“I should grow my own saplings from seed. Why didn’t my foolish father do that?” he thought. “It might take a few years for them to reach the size of the ones I buy, but I’ll make more money.”

But with his new expensive tastes, it wasn’t long before the Young Forester had cut his way around the forest to those first saplings. Instead of being mature 20-year-old trees, they were half that age. But he needed the money, so he cleared even more. A few years later he had nothing but a bare hillside. He was forced to sell his land for a pittance.

Moral of the tale

Any fool can cut and be left with nothing.

‘A few years later, he had nothing left but a bare hillside’

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