“Kevin wrote this story as a reaction to oppression of women in the workplace. I hope you found it as powerful as I did” ~ Alana
Continuing the conversion from last time…
The first time I met Jane, I was deep in my task of putting together this economic think tank. Finding the best thinkers to fill the tank was not easy. I looked for people who knew the problems and possibilities of the current business landscape and had the time and wisdom to think beyond old ways and make changes through new ideas. Finding candidates and calling them to action was taking more effort than I’d expected, and I was becoming discouraged.
By the time I interviewed Jane, I had filled eleven of the committee’s twelve openings and was behind schedule. By then, I was considering going with a team of only eleven. The day she showed up, I wasn’t in the best of moods. When the office door opened, this petite, well-dressed woman came in, stopped, and looked straight at me. Then she turned around and took a few steps out the door. I was stunned, confused . . . and interested.
This petite, well-dressed woman came into my office, stopped, and looked straight at me.
Then she turned around and took a few steps out the door.
When she finally did sit down, I noticed how her tailored navy-blue dress with gold buttons complemented her dark blonde hair done up in a conservative twist. Her pearl necklace and earrings and her glasses came into view as she bent down to put her leather briefcase in front of her chair.
“Hi,” she said, raising her head.
“Hi,” I responded, still not sure what I was getting myself into. “Are you sure you’re in the right place?”
“Oh, do you mean it’s not common for people to walk into your office and out again? I suppose that was quite strange.” She smiled. “Usually I’m very straightforward, but I have a quirk.”
“Walking into interview appointments twice?” I smiled back.
“Not just interviews,” she explained, looking to the floor. “Music comforts me, and when I’m a little nervous, I hear music in my head. I keep the beat with each step. If I enter a room and the music is still playing, I walk out for a minute to let the song finish. Then the anxiety is over.”
It was as if a light shown through the window, illuminating her shiny gold blazer buttons. Instantly distracted by her comments, I needed to collect my thoughts.
“I guess that’s a good way to begin an interview—unusual but no doubt effective,” I mustered.
“You know it is! When I was young, I discovered dance. Most days after school between second grade and senior year of high school, I danced—for fun and as a creative outlet.”
Making a check sign in the air, she finished, “And now you don’t have to ask me how I spend my leisure time.”
We both laughed. I felt immensely relieved from my own anxiety of not only meeting her, but from my angst over completing the team. She too had clearly overcome her jitters and disarmed me in the process.
“Good,” I said. “Now tell me about your company.”
Continued here next time.
Read the complete story in the book, The Quiet Rich
Kevin J. Palmer, Author
