CORPORATE FLASHBACK: Are You Feeling Receptive?

My surly neighbor’s recent confrontational feedback triggered a pasty, rotund memory. I call it a corporate flashback! The recollection always prompts me to try to be open-minded... Even though it happened more than thirty years ago, I will never forget the shock of the experience or the lesson I learned.

A drafting pen exploded on the morning of an important client presentation. I was in the restroom, cleaning up India Ink. My boss was also in the restroom. The subject of our conversation escapes me, but everything else is in vivid, detailed color. She was chic, shoulder-length brown hair, dressed in black, with knee-high black, leather boots. She stepped up to the sink on my right to wash her hands, and then reapply her lipstick before departing. I remember her bracelets jingling against her amazing, oversized watch.

“Good luck,” I said. 

She set her cosmetics bag on the counter firmly, it was a plain, black, leather pouch. She turned to me, making direct eye contact. She had amazing green eyes. Her tone was kind, but forceful, and instructive. “Listen carefully, friend. Luck is for rabbits. Success results from listening well, working hard, and having a good sense of timing. Go prepared. Luck has nothing to do with it. Don’t you forget it!” 

As she turned to leave, I noticed that she had inadvertently tucked an edge of the hem of her full skirt into her pantyhose, exposing her backside to view. I called out as she exited the room, but she didn’t respond. 

I remember grabbing a handful of paper towels and dashing out behind her. The stairwell door across the hallway was closing. I hoped she had taken that route. I can remember thinking, isn’t she feeling an odd breeze? I called out as soon as I got through the open door. “Boss, hold on.” I wasn’t sure who could hear us, so I wanted to be discreet. But I only had a few floors.

“This might not be a good time.” She said. “Clients are waiting on ten.” I could hear her footsteps moving up the stairs quickly. 

 “This is important right now. It’s about the meeting!” I said, nervously hoping she would stop moving towards the door on ten.

“It is going to have to wait.” But as she said this, I heard her pause a floor above. I leaned over the banister and quickly scanned up and down to see if there was anyone else on the stairs. As I spun around the banister onto the landing, we came face-to-face. 

Out of breath, panting, I said, “Your ass is exposed! You caught your hem in your hose, and if you walk out that door right now, everyone on the tenth floor will be admiring your naked bum.”

I remember her poise. I was frazzled, stammering, and sweating; she was composed.  As she adjusted her clothing, she smiled. “This is certainly timely and memorable feedback. A good reminder to listen and try to be receptive, even when it is inconvenient. You never know when someone is trying to save your ass.” She raised her hands as if in prayer and nodded as she walked through the door.

The interaction was brief. But the memory of her calm, hilarious response has come to mind in “feedback moments” over the course of my life. It serves as an unforgettable example of a receptive mindset. 

That leader believed that feedback was central to minimizing self-deception and false confidence. Issues she warned, could impede personal development and professional growth. It took me years to fully embrace her wisdom. I had a lot left to learn from many other leaders. 

With so much change in the work environment, so many people in transition, and so much to discuss that seems too delicate, or difficult; given our uncertainty, isolation, and remote lives. February 2021 seems like a good time to spread a little good humor with corporate flashbacks! And, share some of the important lessons I learned from those experiences. 

Who can’t relate to, or be entertained momentarily by the sometimes-hilarious adventures in corporate life? And, we don’t know what we don’t know, no matter how far up the ladder we’ve climbed. A memorable reminder about the importance of a receptive mindset can be a real-game-changer, no matter where you are, or what you are doing.

After our encounter in the stairwell, I observed that early boss regularly seeking feedback from customers, colleagues—even from me. She advised others to do the same. And when she shared her perspective, she invariably asked for permission first, by asking, “Are you feeling receptive?”

She would follow up with something like, “If this is not a good time, that is okay. I care about you, and there is something important we need to discuss. But we should talk when the time is right for a productive conversation with open minds.” What impact could that kind of approach have on your team or family?