Being the Strong, Silent type

You now, maybe I AM getting old. because you see, I was dealing with a customer on Friday and there were a lot of critical comments on our prototypes for their next year's product. They would say, its too short, its too long, to thin, etc.

Now, if I was the Engineer 15 years ago, I would have taken each comment and defended them with relish. Not only that, I would point out the errors in each of the customer's statement and rebounded them with interest. At the end of the day, I would be the winner. Yeah, man. Whether the customer feels it that way or not, its none of my business. I have successfully defended my product and showed my vast experience and intellect to the customer. Yeah! After that, the customers dread to see me and either let me have my own way or just try to come up with more attacks which usually failed.

But fast forward to now, I would just smile, nod and listen. I would even help them in reinforcing their statement. Why? Despite my urge to be the 'greater', I just kept my mouth shut. Call it experience if you must but I have seen so many of these customers before. And I know the results. So, there I was, being commented my prototype being too thin and they even used a ruler to measure their own current product against mine. And what do you know? I actually helped them measure it as well. And after all the hoo-haa, they realised, mine was actually thicker and with more content. By then, the would have also realised the situation and in order to let them get back some dignity, I just smiled and let them withdraw. And they became very nice to me after that. In fact, every time I meet them, they are eager to see me, and with a warm smile too.

See the difference?

At the end of the day, everyone came out the winner. And not only that, I got a nice handful of chocolates to take home for my girls. 15 years ago, I would have this feeling but by the time I wake up the next morning, its all forgotten and replaced with complaints from the previous meeting. See the difference? So, once again, its all thanks to one Manager, Mr. Brian Gan for taking me out of the technical doldrums and made me see that there is actually a grey area between the whites and blacks, a maybe in the land of yes and no.