Travel and Colleagues and Hugs, Oh My

Twice in one week, Linda? Two posts?? What is going on with you??

Oh. You noticed that? Let me explain. I'm excited because I'm on my way to Dallas for TierPoint's Sales Kick Off! It's got the creative juices flowing! I have things I need to tell you!

But, Linda - you're in Procurement. Why would you be going to a Sales Kick Off meeting?

Good question. Have I mentioned how this is the first role I've held in my entire career where Procurement is viewed as a critical and strategic function and the work we do in sourcing, negotiations, and vendor contracts is closely knitted together with our Sales organization? No? I haven't mentioned that?

Shame on me!

I'm going to Sales Kick Off because at TierPoint, Procurement is seen as a critical, strategic function whose partnership with the selling organization is integral to our collective success. If you want to work in a cool organization like that, you know where to go to see our open roles. Click the company name, scroll. Click again. There you go. Do it!

There's my commercial, but that wasn't the reason I was writing this second-in-one-week piece. This piece is about travel and colleagues, but mostly about hugs. Hugs only get a little mention at the end, but they are the most important part.

Back in the day, I used to travel frequently. A lot. So much, that sometimes the night before a trip, I would pray for my spleen to burst. I'm not really sure what a spleen does but it seemed like such a small, insignificant organ, I felt it might be expendable, and yet its bursting could get me out of going to Minnesota in the winter during a polar vortex.

To this day, my spleen is intact, but several years ago, I left my last company and left heavy business travel behind. I thought "Good riddance, Business Travel! Don't let the door hit ya!" I figured I would never miss it. Me and Business Travel - we were done. Over. Finito.

Then I joined TierPoint. Working in the headquarters is great, because people come to me. I get to introduce them to pizza with very thin crust and weird cheese on top. I get to watch their faces when I tell them we drink Anheuser Busch products here. Very entertaining.

Oh, I still got to travel occasionally. It was good. It was enough.

Then Covid hit in early 2020 and I haven't been on a business trip since then. Not a one.

So you can imagine how excited I was to have this Sales Kick Off Meeting in February! In Dallas where it's nice and warm this time of ye..... [RECORD SCREECH]

Wait, WHAT? Ice storm? What? But... but... but....

Delays, delays, delays, cancellations all over the place, rebook, cancelled again, rebook...

Oh. Now I remember the part about business travel that I hated.

I didn't get off the ground yesterday, but in a few hours [knocks on wood] I'll be heading to the [strokes faux rabbit foot] airport for my [rubs lucky penny] morning flight to ["Are you there, God? It's me, Linda"] Dallas.

And I want this trip. I want this trip badly.

Mostly because, well, you know. Because Procurement is a strategic function that is critical to the success of TierPoint's selling organization, but also because... this is my work-family and I spend a lot of time with them. I am expecting some hugs from some people I've not seen these past few years, other than on Zoom calls. And maybe from some people I have seen.

I believe in a little affection in the workplace - the HR approved kind, of course.

Early in my career, that wasn't common. It was actually the New Yorkers who started it with the hugs. And then later, the Europeans jumped in with their two-cheek kiss greetings. I kind of got to like it.

I, myself, am an awkward hugger but I'm a great huggee. Bring it on!

So - fair warning to my beloved work colleagues - here I come!! Hug me! And if I hold on a little too long, well... I'm very happy to see you. I've missed you so!

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Linda is an infrequent writer of LinkedIn articles that are only slightly business-related, but chocked full of the wisdom and warmth she is known for. Or, um... perhaps chocked full of the indiscriminate drivel that she is known for. Yeah, that seems more accurate.

She normally posts maybe once every couple months, but she likes to keep people on their toes so, occasionally - BAM - two articles in one week. She doesn't charge you extra for that sort of thing. The least you could do is go apply for a job at TierPoint. Really, she asks so little of you....