Best business advice ever (but first, the story behind it)

Many years ago, while doing administrative temp work after deciding to return to school, I worked for a man named "Bob", who gave me some incredible business advice. Bob was a man known for having a short temper, a man who had gone through a long line of Administrative Assistants who refused to tolerate his personality (thus the temp nature of the job). In addition to being scary, he was a brilliant businessman, which is why he was in the C-Suite of a rather large company.

Personally, I never had a problem with Bob, but then (and I have no idea why) he never once lost his temper with me – not even the day I made a major blunder and nearly cost him a large account with Walmart. While others accused me of lying to try and cover up my mistakes (I abhor lies, and this made me both angry and defensive), Bob called me into his office. As I walked in, the first words out of my mouth were, "I don't lie". Bob responded, "I know; which is why you still have a job here". He then calmly asked me to explain what happened that led me to make the huge mistake I admittedly made.

After I explained myself to Bob, he looked at me and said, "I know I have a reputation for being a real a--hole, but I have never been that way with you. Why were you afraid to ask me a few questions that would have ensured that you did this right the first time?” Dumbfounded – and more than a little relieved that I was not about to lose my job – I simply stood there; eyes turned downward in shame and regret, and whispered a barely audible “I’m sorry”. Bob pressed me further, telling me that he had not asked for an apology, but an explanation of my perceived fear of him.

I recall my next words gushing out of my mouth in rapid fire, saying how I knew that Bob was a very busy man; that I knew he did not have time to waste, and I did not want to be the one who wasted it with stupid questions. Bob looked at me, the hint of a smile on his lips, as he said, “So you’d rather waste my time in a meeting like this?”

Bob then went on to tell me the one thing people did not understand about him; the one thing he thought I did understand: that he would rather someone take five minutes of his time to ask questions, to make sure they understood what needed to happen, than to just accept the assignment and walk away thinking that they knew what needed to be done.

I soon left the company - after all, the job was a temp position - but I took this lesson I learned, and applied it to my studies in school; taught it to the students I tutored; and apply it regularly in all aspects of my life. In a way, it has become a litmus test I use to determine whether or not I would want to work for someone. Can I take five minutes of your time to ask you to clarify something for me; to ask you what your desired end-result is?

I later found out that it took Bob half of a work day to undo the damage of my mistake. I heard it not from him, but from one of the company Sales Reps. To this day, I don’t know if Bob meant for me to hear that bit of information. I think if he did, he would have told me so himself. Bob was direct like that. Be like Bob.

KJM
04.26.18