He’s not actually knighted or anything, but I just call him that.
I don’t work directly with him. I’m in the IT Product Development group and he’s the Branch Manager of the closest branch to us. Lately, I’ve been encouraged to feel free to visit and check out performance issues and issues they’re having with the software in person. It’s all a part of the Increased User Feedback approach that we’re doing.
That suits me just fine. I love seeing how the software is actually being used.
Part of why I call him Sir K is that he’s a British ex pat in Canada. He apparently has kind of struggled to relax in the more casual Canadian office atmosphere. I didn’t think he was all that difficult, but people tell me he’s gotten A LOT better than he used to be. He’s one of those full-on three-piece-suit with a tie and French cuffs with proper cuff-links type of guys.
He’s only recently started participating in Casual Fridays… and that means he wears lighter colour suits or just non-Power Colour combinations. Sometimes, he has no tie on Fridays. And on the odd occasion, the jacket even comes off, but only after 3:00pm. Yeah… =D
Sir K has a huge corner office, obviously befitting of a dignified Branch Manager. He has a leather chesterfield-style non-chesterfield couch. It’s kind of strange and hard to describe, but it’s humongous, very soft and very comfy.
He is also one of those who only use as much technology as he needs and doesn’t want to know any more. And I think he likes it when I visit because I always explain the software to him in a way that he understands. It gives him a leg up in the Managers’ Meetings.
I think there’s also a perception that I truly care about the software working for them. I listen to them when I’m up there and I bring their issues and concerns into the software development cycle. And I explain the software and talk through resolutions. It’s gained their confidence that IT is doing their damndest to do what’s right for them.
So, what have I done with the rapport that I have built with Sir K?
I waited until about 4:45pm. They’re insanely busy in the mornings, but late afternoons are their winding down time. So, I went to have a look at one of the issues that was escalated to me from the front line Support folks.
I couldn’t resist his couch. I ran in to his office, literally took a flying leap, did a quarter twist in the air with out-stretched arms onto his couch.
// B L A T //
... goes my entire body, right into the middle.
Sir K is laughing uncontrollably for the next 10 minutes. XD XD
It took a good long while before he could breathe a little and his face had turned back to a less frightening shade of crimson and the rest of the staff in the office had established that CPR was, in fact, not necessary. The floor first aid person actually thought he was having a heart attack at first because he was laughing so hard that he wasn’t making any noise. =)
Between the continuing chortles, he says he sort of saw me running out of the corner of his eye, but it didn’t quite register what was happening. Then all of a sudden, it was as if I fell clear out of the sky and crash landed on his couch. =) He also said it reminded him of Calvin =D
I can’t imagine what a gruelling week it must have been for him. He must’ve been near out of his mind to crack up that hard at something so simple =)
