Newfound respect

There's this colleague of mine who is in the same Biz Unit as me. It isn't very populated but somehow I haven't had the opportunity to work with him before. Even the emails from him that pop-up in my inbox had me in the c.c. list, which meant the emails were FYI and I merely browsed through them. His English isn't fantastic. He is an Executive in his 50s and dons a pair of specs that fulcrums low on his nose.

Today we had a joint site investigation. He, belonging to the technical dept, was responsible for conducting the investigation and churning up the detailed findings. Armed with a handy torch and a camera, he spent a considerable amount of time in the back of an dim, unventilated vehicle, reaching up and bending low and sneaking his head into nooks and crannys to take pictures of the components. He didn't seem to mind that the bumpcap he grabbed from the bench and put on was soiled; and his fingers dirty from handling and digging at the hoses and crevices. His specs perched precariously from his nose, threatening to fall off anytime; beads of perspiration trickled from his forehead and sideburns. When the third party officers posed questions, the answers that he replied were technically sound.

A newfound respect for him I developed. Not to say that I have looked down on him all the while (which I do not, for the record), my impression of him had been neutral. But after this incident, he has all my due respect for his commitment, attitude and competency.

Being an Engineer of a workshop now, I know how I should command respect from the ground. Especially from people old enough to be my father, experienced enough who have turned more bolts then me clicking the mouse.

1) Walk the ground
2) Technically competent
3) Dirty my hands.

I don't have a problem with the above. It's about putting them into practice. =)