Are You Going To Fix This

It was almost 8:30 PM. I had been there for two days straight. I wasn't alone. It was early in my IT career and there were two other techs there. They were geeks. You could tell by the taped together broken eyeglasses on one, and the Microshaft Skirtified shirt on the other. They were geniuses in their field and way ahead of anything I could even aspire to be. Everytime I suggested something I was met with sideways glares and condescending responses.  Yet here I was. Because I was asked to be there.

Stanley, We Have A Problem

The guy who called me said there was a small problem with a server. What he didn't tell me is that the two super computer guys had already been working on it for a week. When I got there, they couldn't print an invoice. That's pretty critical stuff in my opinion. It's just the way I think. If a company can't print an invoice and get paid, then how can they pay me?  I immediately dropped everything and went to work. I would feel like we were making progress, and in fact had it working for 15 minutes, on three different occasions.  But it would stop working again and we'd go back to square one.

What's Wrong With This Network

So the owner decided to have a little meeting. He asked only one question. "Do you know what's wrong with it?"  One guy said "It might be this." The other guy said "I think it might be this." The two agreed that both their analysis might be correct.  They were both certified and getting $100+ an hour.  This was in the early 90's, and that was substantial money.  When the owner asked me I said "I have no idea!"  The other two began laughing at me and proclaiming "We KNOW what it is!" So I just looked at them and said "Well, if you know what it is, why don't you fix it so I can go home?" They explained it wasn't that easy, and that I simply didn't understand. 

Thirty Minutes Later I Was Alone

The owner gave them a half hour to fix it, then told us to leave.  When I started packing up he said "Not you."  So I watched them leave. After they were gone I asked him why he kept me there. His answer was 'Because I knew you would at least tell me the truth."  About two hours later, everything was up and running again, and I had a new customer.  All because I was willing to openly admit I didn't know what I was doing. 

That's The Takeaway

Blog articles are supposed to have tips, tricks, and takeaways.  It's what us Old Schoolers call 'The Moral of The Story."  It's simply a way to give the lesson learned in the article.  The takeaway on this article is simple.  When someone asks, tell them the truth.  You're going to come out way ahead in the long run.  In your business and personal life, it's the only thing that you can really, control.