Yesterday a colleague who sits behind me gave me a piece of paper and requested me to explain its meaning. I read the first para of the paper and returned it to her saying this is outside my domain, I have no idea what it means and the only person who can help you is VP (Production).
She told me that it was VP(Production) who had given her this paper and asked her to prepare few slides for a presentation. I told her in such a case VP(Production) is the right person to contact and she pointed me towards the chair of VP(Production) and said, “But he has left for the day.”
I told her then she must call VP(Production) and ask him to explain what in the name of God is this stuff. She said yes and few minutes later I heard her discussing the piece of paper with another colleague.
Since I was not working on a deadline and couldn’t control my urge of telling my colleague that my solution of the problem is right and she must call VP(Production) for guidance, I asked her to show me the piece of paper again. I read it again, figured out that the reason our VP(Production) is VP(Production) because he can easily decipher things that look like an extract from a textbook which according to us must be ignored while preparing for exam because there is little probability of the examiner being a cruel bitch at heart and asking such tough questions.
The three of us started debating the piece of paper and another colleague overheard us. He too was not working on a deadline and couldn’t resist his urge of proving he can do what none of us can. He read the piece of paper and told us what it meant.
There was silence when our colleague finished. The colleague had just acted like a college professor that practiced the maxim if you don’t understand anything then just read whatever that is written in the textbook and if anyone asks a question reply, “That is a good question. I will get back to you later” and move to something that you know.
Finally the colleague that was given the work of preparing presentation spoke. She said,”Sirji, even I was able to understand what you said. My problem is how I must put it in the ppt.” The colleague who has potential of becoming a college professor replied, “I told you what I was able to understand from the printout you have given me.”
We all nodded our heads and thanked him for the help. What I loved the most about my colleague's reply was the tone in which she replied. She made it absolutely clear to the colleague preaching what he didn't know, that we were not duffers who were incapable of understanding what was written on a piece of paper. Our only problem was we were not smart enough to convert an extract of an textbook into a ppt and neither was he.
I don’t know what the colleague with the soul of college professor replied. I had turned around and was pretending to check mails until he left. I think after hearing the tone of my colleagues reply he would have said something like if you need a detailed explanation then you must ask for guidance from VP(Production) . I think so because when I turned back after the colleague who had made us all remember our college lectures had gone, both of my colleagues were still discussing the same piece of paper.
To sum up
Thanks for the unsolicited advice. We appreciate your help and next time if you want to feel superior kindly talk with someone else.
Good Advice! :p
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