I work in a very diverse and multi-cultural team and on many occasions someone says something and it is not immediately clear what point they are trying to get across, but you figure out a way to understand each other. Then you have those times like I had today where you have to go and speak to someone about something for the second time. I approached this individual and starting in by saying, ” I’m sure you remember last week when I asked….” As I’m speaking I can see his head nodding and he is smiling but his eyes are telling me that he is completely clueless about what I’m saying. I try again, I rephrase my question. More nodding and smiling. I’m thinking “this is the point where you actually speak and words come out that tell me what I need to know.” Nothing. Normally by now I would give up and find another way around my problem. In this case however, this person is the only person who can help me or rather who should be able to help me. If he does not know the answer then my problem just got much bigger. Then those fatal words came out “leave it with me.” Oh no, not that! What he is really saying is “leave it with me until you forget you asked me. That way it doesn’t matter that I don’t have a clue about what you talking about.” In the end I walked away nodding and smiling.
Tag: work
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A Really Good Day at Work…
When was the last time you had a really good day at work? (FirstWatch folks excluded because you all work in the “Dream Team”). I realise that I am still in the honeymoon phase of my new job but still yesterday was the best day I have had at work in a number of years. I won’t bore you with detail other than to say that I had to give a presentation (as one hour of a day full of presentations) to a group of people I had not yet met. I had to present my test methodology (see why I did not want to bore you?). Not the most exciting topic I’m sure you will agree. I launched in and did my best. When my slides were finished and everyone in the room was still awake and did not appear to have gnawed any limbs off I felt pretty good. Then I received some lovely comments from the people around the table. I was floored. I was not expecting such a positive reaction. I don’t think I actually even touched a single step on my way down the stairs…I was flying! That feeling lasted long intro the evening and I felt great. We all need a day like this once in awhile just to allow us to remember that what we each do everyday is important and does make a difference to someone. This exerprience will now always be there and on those days there are not so good, I can draw on this to push me through. I hope you have one of these days soon.
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Crisis in the work place…the last banana
I am working on a client site this week (to remain nameless of course) and I witnessed something yesterday that I have never seen before. I think the collective stress that everyone is under with all the current uncertainty in the world is starting to show in the work place. I was in the client canteen yesterday staring at the same sandwich fillings as always and trying to decide between tuna and egg salad when I heard an irritated and slightly raised voice. When I turned I saw a man with a rather red face holding his arms out exasperation saying “was that the last banana?”. The very nice lady working the counter responded in the affirmative. The man started to tut and the poor woman who took the dreaded last banana looked embarrassed for beating him to it. This man just kept standing there tutting and waving his arms in what I assume was a vain hope that another banana would appear. The moral of the story is that when we start blowing a gasket about the lack of fresh fruit in our canteen there is something seriously wrong!