Don't Judge a Hog by its Cover
Hog’s hair floor covering. It’s a real thing. The stiff bristles collected from pigs are pressed into rugs that provide cushioning, are durable, and are easily dyed. I found out about these miracle mats during a grad school “field trip” to one of the most incredible buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Harley Davidson University. The floor covering was appropriate because Harley Davidson Motorcycles are affectionately called “Hogs.” I fell in love with H-D University, but more about that in a future article. Today I want to talk about Benny.
After the field trip, I thought an outing to H-D University would be a great outing for our training team at General Electric Healthcare. Finding a phone number, I called the University. After several transfers I was connected with Benny; Benny Suggs.
Benny had a voice with a little rasp and a lot of southern drawl. Despite the leisurely pace of his speech, he spoke like a man with purpose. During our calls, I began forming a picture of him in my mind. I envisioned he was somebody from the assembly line that had worked his way up the corporate ladder and found himself at the University. I could not have been more wrong.
On the day of the tour, I arrived early at Harley-Davidson University and was met by a smiling Benny in the lobby. We chatted as we waited for the others, and he mentioned something about the Navy. At the time, I was in the Air National Guard and had just pinned on Major. I was a bit full of myself when I told him of this accomplishment and asked him what he’d done in the Navy. His reply was so casual, almost dismissive in his drawl…
“I ran a little ole battlegroup.”
A battle group is an aircraft carrier and all the ships that escort it. It’s a fleet of ships. It is one of the most powerful military components ever known to man. In the past, I’d done some joint operations with the Navy and my mind was trying to think of their command structure. I remembered a battlegroup Commander had at least one star on his shoulder, maybe two. Benny was an Admiral! I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped open as I realized this.
Benny flew F-14 Tomcats. He rose to command a carrier, the USS America.?Then earned his star and led the USS Stennis Battle Group. After retiring from the Navy, he decided he wanted to do something with his passion for motorcycles. So, Benny put his Hog on a trailer and drove up to Milwaukee, knocked on Harley’s door, and asked for a job. They made him the head of the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.)?And that’s how our paths crossed.
Before we go further, I must comment on what an amazingly badass thing Benny did. He packed up his stuff, drove from North Caroline to Wisconsin, and sat outside Harley until he got a job because of his passion. That’s truly amazing and should serve as an inspiration to all. Now back to the story…
Benny was the most gracious host as he guided us through H-D University. He showed us the entire building, answered every question we threw at him, and introduced us to the team there. As the day went on, I felt a bit of shame growing within me.
While I didn’t act inappropriately to Benny, I realized how awfully close I‘d come. I was cocky about my promotion and could have easily been flippant about Benny’s service. During a few phone calls, I allowed myself to form a picture of him; based largely on his accent and his laid-back demeanor. I was taught not to prejudge people. But was I truly practicing it? Looking back at past projects and improvement events, I realized I hadn’t.
The quiet kid in the corner…
The guy yelling over everyone else…
The person who “knows” every answer…
The person who really knows the answer, but isn’t sharing…
From their actions early in an event, I would often quickly form an opinion of people. These opinions affected my actions. My actions influenced the event. I like to think I did a good job appraising people, but upon reflection I know I didn’t. I shut down people whom I should have allowed to speak, I didn’t draw out the people not engaging, and I dismissed input from others. All because I thought I knew their “type.” A bit more open-mindedness and effort on my part would have made for better events.
Incomplete perceptions of people can determine the success, or failure, of an event. My brief time with a Harley Riding Admiral helped me re-affirm the principle of not judging a book by its cover.
Have you ever been quick to judge? Did it impact an event on which you worked? Please share in the comments...
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