Tuesday, May 19, 2009

There are just some days....

I had a really annoying, aggravating day.

I asked a friend of mine to do me a favor by doing a presentation today. I expected her to do a great job, but I also knew she could do what I asked with minimal effort based on her skills, talent and experience. Being the person she is, she went far beyond what I'd asked of her. She put in WAY too much time and effort in preparation, went far beyond what I'd asked of her in the actual presentation, and, in summary, did an amazing job.

The response was less than thrilling. Some who were supposed to attend didn't show up, leaving far too many empty seats. Her presentation was interrupted several times by people wandering through the room. The body language from the ones in the seats was dismissive at best and disrespectful if really analyzed. The amount of attention paid was minimal. Every effort she made to engage them in what she was doing was ignored. Her presentation was important and relevant and they blew her off. I was embarrassed and appalled.

Lesson learned? Don't bother trying to help people- they do not appreciate it and are quite willing to let you know that. I won't make that mistake again.

1 comment:

Shirley said...

I can totally agree with you and yet there must have been at least one person who appreciated her presentation. That one person made it worth while and could very well be the answer to our future success as a country. You did a good thing.