There is this scene from The Office that I’m thinking about a lot lately.
It’s from the later seasons.
The CEO, Robert California, is searching for game-breaking ideas to turn the business around.
Kevin Malone, the office simpleton, makes an observation about the layout of cookies in the break-room vending machine.
[paraphrasing] - “The best spot in the machine is being taken up by cookies 🍪 that nobody likes.”
Robert hears (without really hearing) what Kevin said. The CEO projects his own high-level thinking onto Kevin’s idea.
Robert generalizes and extracts a keen business insight. Evidently, the sales-people are wasting prominent space pushing products that nobody wants. They could make more money by dropping those products and instead putting better selling products in their place.
A great outcome by all means.
Time passes… Robert draws Kevin closer into his confidence. The two spend a lot of time together.
Many cookie ideas are shared. Kevin’s silly observations are taken as highly abstract takes on the state of business and the global economy.
Robert is enthralled by Kevin.
Then the shoe drops… another coworker baits Kevin into sharing one of his particularly silly ideas.
Kevin’s ideas are finally laid bare for what they are - without the cover or presumption of “genius”.
Robert, for the first time, listens to the words being said… he gulps in apprehension… eyes-widening as he stares into the distance in realization.
🍪 “It was just actually cookies the whole time.” 🍪
