10
Old mentor told me to stop rushing through calls and it changed how I work
I was about 23 working at a small repair shop in Tulsa, fixing old radios and amplifiers for a living. There was this one older guy, maybe 70, who came in every few weeks with a busted receiver or a turntable that wouldn't spin. He never hurried, always sat on the stool by my bench and just watched me work. One day he told me "you're moving too fast for the problem, son. slow down and let the circuit talk to you." That stuck with me because I realized I was always trying to get to the next ticket instead of actually hearing what people needed. He wasn't even a regular customer, just a retired electrician who liked to chat. I still think about that when I'm tempted to rush through a conversation with a client or skip the small talk. Has anyone else had a stranger drop a piece of advice that totally reframed how you approach your job?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
tessa_kim310d ago
Right, because what every stressed out worker really needs is a cryptic riddle from a retired electrician while they're elbow deep in a busted turntable. Pretty sure my circuits would just tell me to order more coffee and stop taking life advice from strangers at work. But hey, at least you got a solid zen koan out of it instead of just another awkward hello.
9