Thursday, December 11, 2008

Flush the Fish (all the way)

It is indeed a sad moment in a child’s life when a pet fish takes a gravel nap. Yes, the call for Dad to fetch the net can be filled with tears, but at least there is a fast and convenient way to send the little guy to a happier place. But recently in our house, a funny thing happened on the way to the water treatment facility.

We had seen warning signs for days that my 6-year-old’s Black Skirt Tetra was headed for the Nemo-themed tank in the sky. Drifting instead of swimming, ignoring food and a general aloofness allowed us to warn our daughter that his time might be short. She was OK with that. And, she was OK when the time came for me to handle things.

She was not OK with what happened next.

Early in the morning, I snuck in the room, scooped him up, dropped him in the bowl and flushed. I saw him start making concentric circles like a penny in one of those big yellow things, so I put down the lid and went to work. Mission accomplished.

It wasn’t until later in the day that I received word that my sweet daughter had woken up and trotted herself into the bathroom only to look down and discover that she was not alone. A scream, a call to Mommy and general disdain for all things Dad quickly followed. I was able to make it up to her and she forgave me – because she loves me.

But how many times in our business do we forget to make sure the job is done? Really done. Especially if it is one of those projects that has taken forever, it is easy to want it to be over so badly, that we fail to finish strong.

Never assume anything, confirm everything and make sure all expectations are met. It won’t take long, but it can make all the difference in keeping your people happy. Even if they do love you!

Have a wonderful holiday.

1 comment:

Hugh Butler said...

Thanks, Dave...I have a dear departed goldfish in my freezer and realize it's only a matter of time until Mrs. Butler finds it. I guess I can't put off the funeral plans any longer. (The goldfish was three years old)