As I was getting ready for work this morning, I remembered that I had a meeting today with a student group that had caused me some grief in the past. I have to work with them, so I got dressed with an eye toward a carefully calculated impression. Long sleeve white dress shirt with a UA logo indicating that I was part of the establishment and would be expected to follow the rules. Sleeves rolled up to indicate that I was someone prepared to work. Dress pants – and my dressier flip-flops – an indication that I’m cool and that I can relate. Or at least that I’m trying to fool myself into thinking that I’m cool and that I can relate. I never put this much thought into what I’m wearing under usual circumstances, but this group had been stubborn and I was going to need all the help I could get.
So, image complete, I headed into work. And when I checked my calendar, I realized that I also had a meeting today with the Office of General Counsel – i.e. the lawyers. And while flip-flops might be appropriate for a meeting with a student group – they would not be appropriate for a meeting with the lawyers.
One of my co-workers and I headed up to the student union for starbucks and I mentioned my footwear issues and that I might have to go home and change shoes before my meeting. He asked what shoe size I wore (10) and then offered to let me borrow his shoes for the meeting. He had a backup pair in his car and no meetings – so, it would work out fine and though I had to go sock-less I was in much better shape than before.
I ‘shoed-up’ just before my meeting and things went fine. Back to flip-flops for my second meeting and that went fine too.
They say you have to walk a mile in someone’s shoes before you really know them. I didn’t quite cover a mile, but I was impressed by his generosity and I appreciated it.
I learned a lesson about planning and still ended up making the right impressions.
The rest of the day has been pretty much business as usual, but I’ll head out of here in a much better mood than I had yesterday.
later…
