A Mop Bucket Attitude

Achieving an M.B.A.1 “You can do what you want to do. You can be what you want to be.” – Dave Thomas [Ask] How many of you wish to go on and receive a college degree after college? Who can tell me what the following abbreviations mean? A. B.A. B. M.A. C. M.B.A.? To earn any of these degrees – understanding a different definition for those initials is useful. A B.A. is a beneficial attitude. An M.A. is a motivational attitude. And an M.B.A. is a mop bucket attitude. This is the learning that continues long after your school years end – the learning that may be the most beneficial in your life. [Ask] What do you think it means to have a mop bucket attitude? Dave Thomas was the founder and owner of Wendy’s restaurants. His early life was very difficult, he was put up for adoption at birth, his adopted mother passed away when he was five, and his adopted father then moved from city to city showing little care for him. Thomas dropped out of high school, later earning a G.E.D. It was an M.B.A. Thomas credited with his success, however. He carried a mop bucket attitude through life. He got his first job pumping gas when he was 10 and soon thereafter started working at a restaurant. His friends called him “Hamburger Boy” and made fun of him. Thomas made the important decision he was not going to let what others think of him determine his destiny. Soon, Thomas owned four of his own restaurants and before he died in 2002, he owned over 6,000. Thomas was very charitable and very involved in supporting child adoption initiatives. He also never passed up an opportunity to display and preach the importance of a mop bucket attitude. He said for all the time and attention given to various business strategies and models, everything else pales in comparison to the wisdom of a clean floor. A mop bucket attitude means you are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, and do it well. No job is beneath you and all work is honorable. A mop bucket attitude is also about quality. Being willing to do anything necessary to produce your sought-after results – focusing on even the smallest detail to ensure quality. Thomas explained a willingness to do whatever it takes can be as important as a piece of paper that you get from a college degree. No one, including any of us, is above picking up a mop bucket to clean up a mess or to help out. Do not be concerned about what others think of you. Do what those who are highly successful do, embrace a mop bucket attitude and focus on your dreams and goals – not what others think!

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A product of the SAVHS Athletics Department. Ideas from The Savory Taste of Success Thomas Rise to the Top, www.evancarmichael.com. Quotes from Erin Packham, logomaker.com.

---“What’s the secret to success? It’s no secret. You need a winning attitude, honesty and integrity, and a burning desire to succeed.” – Dave Thomas

[Ask] What is a beneficial attitude? What is a motivational attitude? Who on your team demonstrates these types of attitudes – and how so?

What does a mop bucket attitude say about Dave Thomas’ leadership?

How can we show a mop bucket attitude: a. in sports, b. in school, and c. in life?