Inquire Before You Perspire

I started a post about how frustrated I was about a situation I was in.  I even scheduled it to be published for this morning.  I love TypePad precisely because you can schedule a post.  What can I say?  Life is busy but I always seem to have a lot to say.

It turns out that there was no need for me to be frustrated because (as I surmised in my post) there was a reason for why I was excluded from the situation.  In the end, it was simply a matter of me asking someone why I was being excluded.  Actually, it's not just me who was excluded but an entire department.

Once upon a time, I worked for a global consumer packaged goods company.  It was early in my career and it was great experience.  Not only because I got to travel and see the world but also because I worked with some great people.  I choose not to talk about the no-so-great people I worked with and for because it would make me remember what I consider the most important years in my career annoying.

One of the people that I worked with, let's call him Al, was a tough manager to work for but he was extremely fair and I learned a lot from him.  Besides the fact that he loved to say, "Who's your pal?  Al - Al's your pal!" and other crazy things like that, he taught me that you are responsible for managing your career.  It's a piece of advice that has served me well throughout the years.  It's also a piece of advice that has made me even more neurotic that I already am.

One of things that Al taught me besides that he was my pal; that cash flow never lies; and that it was possible to have fun in freezing Montreal in the dead of winter was that if I had a question, I should ask.  There was no shame in asking a question that you didn't know the answer to.  Asking wasn't a sign of weakness (unless of course it was truly a dumb question like "what's my name") and asking saved a lot of time spinning your wheels.  I remember once when I was on an audit and I didn't understand something, I spent an hour or two trying to figure it out by myself.  Al peered over his granny glasses (yes, he wore granny reading glasses) and delivered this line that I have NEVER forgotten:

"Irene, what is the matter?  Remember, inquire before you perspire."

He was right.  Even though he didn't give me the answer, the mere exercise of talking through what I didn't understand made me realize what the answer was.  There are times when I wonder what one of my favorite managers is up to.  I know that he has children - girls no less - and I wonder what other pearls of wisdom he has taught them.  I am sure that if they're of dating age he has taught them some sort of self-defense.  He has probably taught them to not be afraid of asking questions or for directions; how to have a good time in situations where you think good times are NOT to be had; and that there are times to be serious and times where it's okay to kiss a perfectly good stranger in a Canadian bar for $10.00.  Okay, so maybe he didn't teach his girls that last thing.

Comments

[Sam]

You kiss random strangers!?