Just Fix the Problem

In one of my jobs, I was – yippee! – given a laptop with all the bells and whistles. It wasn’t new, but I didn’t care. Except for one thing.

Every time I turned it on, the laptop tried to synch up with servers, wireless accounts, software and what-have-you that once existed, but didn’t any longer. It was unsettling to be warned of impending security breaches, or commanded to upgrade stuff with a password that I didn’t have.

Now if you haven’t guessed already, I am not a tech-savvy person: we still have rotary-dial phones in our house (that have outlasted every other piece of technology in our possession, thank you very much). So after I exhausted my meager store of ideas, I called in the IT guru for help.

She took one look at all the pop-ups on my screen, and carefully explained to me how to “click on the x,” of each box, and the pop-ups would go away. When I asked, she admitted that all the warnings and notifications could be removed from my laptop, but that would take time, and it’s easier to just close the boxes.

Well, yeah, it’s easier to just close the boxes, but it left me wondering what other duties she was managing in such an indifferent manner. Jobs exist because there are problems to solve – a phone that rings, clients wanting solutions, a tricky issue between demand and resources. When you skate past the problem, people will eventually notice. When you solve the problems, you’re doing your job. When you find the problem and solve it before anyone asks you to, you’re doing your job really well. 

Earnest and Mis-Guided

Every now and then, a memory will pop into my head. Sometimes, the memory seems perfectly random; other times, it’s quite clear that my brain is helpfully giving itself a little vacation from the task at hand. Some of these memories provide the insight I’ve been struggling to find, while others are just golden oldies – so classic (or entertaining), they deserve to be replayed.

Such is the memory of Cari, who was staffing a hotel reception desk. The hotel was owned by a state university, and like many university enterprises, hired students  like Cari - full of good will, but not necessarily seasoned employees - to round out its workforce. I had a question about my upcoming stay at the hotel, and when the website “Contact Us” page bounced my message a few times, I phoned the hotel directly and got Cari.

She quickly answered my questions, and when she asked if there was anything else she could do for me, I took the plunge, telling her that the hotel web site had a glitch in it that prevented people from posting questions, and suggesting that she pass the information to the IT department. She airily responded that it didn’t matter, since the front desk was open around the clock and the staff was delighted to answer our questions. OK. . . . Thinking the leadership at the hotel might not agree, I asked to speak with the manager. In the same friendly voice, Cari told me that there wasn’t a manager on duty.

“Cari,” I said. “It’s 3:00 in the afternoon. I’m sure there is a manager I can speak to.”

Sadly, there wasn’t, according to Cari. So I phoned the next day, and talked with Susan, the Customer Relations Manager. Turns out that Susan was in the office the whole time Cari and I were having our conversation the day before – Cari even told Susan all about me, including Cari’s astonishment that I would presume to tell her how to do her job. Susan had a terrific sense of humor and was clearly on top of the situation. We had a great conversation, and I got a silly memory that nicely illustrates some key workplace points.

If you’re a Cari: No matter what you think of a suggestion, thank the person for providing it, let the person know you’ll pass it along to the right person, and then pass it along to the right person. They don't have to act on it, and you don't have to follow up beyond delivering the suggestion, but it helps establish your reputation as someone who's thinking about the well-being of the whole company, not just your duties inside it. And no bluffing, OK?

If you’re a Susan: Look for opportunities to help the people who work for you develop strategies for dealing with out-of-left-field situations. Remind your team that your job is to be a resource for them.