Reflections On …An Alright Guy

by Gary Erdakos
 

I recently experienced my 90-day “Performance and Development Summary” from The Home Depot. Although I take my job seriously, due to the barely above minimum wage I receive, I don’t sweat the small stuff. I also don’t sweat the big stuff since there isn’t any. My biggest challenge is trying to indicate to my customers that if I were as good as Dean Johnson, The Home Depot couldn’t afford me.

During the first half of one’s life, evaluations and others’ opinions (not to mention – actually to mention – hairstyles and dress, etc) have way more importance than in the last half of your life when you should be a member of the KMA Club. Many of us behave  just the opposite. One of those exceptions is not me.

Anyway, it’s so much easier to fool some of the people some of the time when you don’t actually have to try.

Back to the evaluation. There were four scoring categories: Outstanding ( I had none. My motto is “always leave them wanting more.”); Achiever; Performer (a euphemism for “warm body”); and Improvement Required. I, of course was an achiever in “Customer Driven” since I’ve been a customer way longer than I’ve been an Associate. I also was an achiever at “Communicates Effectively.” OK, let’s pause while the laughter from my friends, family and those who read this stuff subsides.

I was a Performer (read “alright”) in each of the other eleven categories. Although I believe the evaluation was quite fair, it was soon apparent that there were no areas in which I was diagnosed as Needing Improvement. I was very proud of the fact that the last person to be viewed in such a way lived about two thousand years ago.

Since The Home Depot says I’m an alright guy, I’ll go along. (I’m also “Go Along Guy” – I’ve got the t-shirt to prove it). But wait. The Home Depot also thinks Tony Stewart is an alright guy. Another bubble is burst.

Music pick of the week: “Alright Guy” by Todd Snider. (Pay no attention to the lyrics). Check it out. If you can’t find it for free, visit Oh Boy Records.

Copyright © 2005 Gary Erdoakos