I used to work for a guy named simply , Cap'n. There were 8 of us in his department, some were employees and others were contractors, like me. There were rumors about his name, but the plant manager wasn't even sure... he always called him Cap'n, too.
Cap'n was a 66 year old black man. He was counting the days until retirement, and he knew the number... often led with it when there was something to be dealt with ("I have 417 workdays until I retire. I don't intend on wasting another one of them with your BS!"). He was born at home in 1917, his great-grandparents had been born slaves... and remembered when they were freed. He made it to 9th grade... best in his family to that point. His parents still lived in the home he was born in... but not for much longer. He even knew exactly where his great grandparents had been born and freed.
His daughter was a Doctor (Pediatrician). His older son was a Navy Aviator. His youngest was a school teacher. He had a grandson that was looking at West Point. He had a grand-daughter that was looking at MIT. It is pretty obvious that Cap'n had done a pretty good job.
The reason I know so much of this stuff is that we had a little tradition. The schedule was ten days on, four days off. Half of the crew was there on the four day weekends, and everyone was on deck Tuesday through Thursday. We were in "maintenance"... light bulbs, trash can liners, painting, clean-up... whatever. This was a coal fired power plant.
During my four or five months, Cap'n and I got into a habit of wasting an hour or two on Sunday afternoons "on the deck", which was a open air platform about 130 feet up, overlooking the river. It was serviced by elevator, but was outside of the generator building. We also called it the tenth floor. I would stop and pick up a couple of oatmeal creme pies and some NeHi Grape Sodas. We'd sit there and BS. He liked that I had traveled a bit, and liked history. I thought he was one of the smartest people I'd ever met. He understood SO much about the way things worked... and people... and the way people worked things.
So, one day, Cap'n and I were enjoying a snack and watching some sailboats on the river. It was sunny and warm... a perfect day. We were talking about his son's adventures flying in the Mediterranean off of a carrier. Cap'n's elevator buzzer went off (he cobbled together an alarm so that anyone sending the elevator to the tenth floor would notify us... we had to look busy). We hopped up to look busy. When the door opened up, it was one of the other maintenance guys. Chuck had done something stupid, and there was a problem... Chuck doing something stupid was not a shock...
Cap'n told Chuck to stay there for an hour and then to meet him in the maintenance office. Chuck didn't think he could be fired for it... he was union, and in the regulated power industry a Pronouncement from God would still require a two year investigation... and everyone would get bored and drop it. But he was worried. He might lose a raise.
Cap'n took me down to the heat exchanger area. A couple of the gauges were going bananas. They would peg and drop and peg again. Chuck had been down here cleaning, and he thought he had leaned on something. I was wondering if we were going to have to call engineering and there was going to be a shut-down or something. The gauges were flipping. Red lights were flashing. Cap'n pulled up a stool and sat down.
Then he told me that every month or so, some of the barnacles that get in the exchanger break free because of the heat cool cycle. We try to get in and drain the unit and clean the lines before-hand, but that we hadn't because of other projects. Basically, the problem would mostly self correct over the next couple of hours. But, he didn't want Chuck to know that. Chuck was ready to give up on his demands (not working some types of duties, and trying to spend a lot of time near the infirmary) and Cap'n was perfectly willing to make it look like he heroically saved the day for Chuck.
I was then told a truism. When junk is screwing up, people want you to do something. A lot of the time, nothing you can do is going to fix anything, but it makes those people fell better that something is getting done. And from this, I learned that appearing to fix a problem that is fixing itself is almost as valuable a skill as fixing problems... that aren't fixing themselves. But Cap'n told me that the MOST valuable skill was knowing which problems needed a kick in the butt and which ones just needed you to sit on your butt.
About a month later, Cap'n and I were enjoying the view and the buzzer went off. We sprung into action, and when the elevator opened it was the Plant Manager. He told us to stop play-acting and grabbed the bag of moon-pies and Grape NeHis he had hiding in the elevator. He also knew that Cap'n was a pretty smart guy. He was asking him how to deal with his wild child daughter... Cap'n pointed to me and told the Manager to give me her number... then she wouldn't be his problem anymore. He was kidding... I think.
Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey.
I'd love to hear from you...
I was trying to put this in context with the home loan debacle and I think it fits. There's people doing things, but I'm not sure it's going to make a difference.
I love this story, Lane! Even without the undertones, it's just a great tale.
Lane,
Great post it is amazing how so much you can learn in life from examples of others in reality
most times if something happens don't get upset because it want solve or fix problem.
Great story. Even though people will take the meaning any number of ways, I see this in working real estate. If something is going wrong the buyer or seller doesn't know what they need they just need you to do what you can.
Lane, I loved reading this story. Wish I had known Cap'n. Well written, too!
Debi
Lane, awesome analogy. Cap'n kind of sounds like my late granfather Edgar. those kinds of fellas could really keep you onn your toes.
I think I need a series here. Nick, Chipp and Albert all taught me great lessons. I use those lessons all of the time.
Vickie - That was what I was thinking about.
Lisa - He was a seriously cool guy. And there were a lot of interesting things that happened there.
John - Getting upset never did the fixing.
Ron - Thanks.
Debi - I'm a better person to have known him.
Ian - There are people that know stuff from books and there are people that know stuff that isn't in books... Knowing both types of people is a great thing.
Evening Lane, The best managers learn when to oversee and when to overlook !
LOL - I saw this one coming from a mile away.
All we need to fix this country is to leave it the heck alone and let things run their course, but folks always want to fix things and end up making a bigger mess. Folks always want the government to step in and solve things. Fix their problems. Make things right.
The great thing about a depression is that it gets rid of lazy and weak people that would rather rely on the government than push a broom at McDonald's to earn a living. People that don't want to work - only want things handed to them. I know that won't be a popular view but we are a nation that doesn't remember what it means to be American and how to be winners. We legislate this. We legislate that. We try to create equality when there is no such thing. We all have equal opportunity, but that doesn't mean that we will all have equal outcomes. ||
Thanks for a great post. I loved it because it reminds me of a person that I know. I will go back to my hole now...
Lane,
Great story. I think it explains the whole reason 0bama was elected. He promised to do something and no one really cared what it was as long as they got change.
Michelle
Great analogy, Lane.
Most of the time things will fix themselves.
We get involved and make things worse, hense the DOW.
Wonder where the Capt'n is?
Lane, I'm so glad I stopped by your blog today. Loved this story! Thank you for sharing it on Blogger's Choice. Definitely worthy of a Feature!
Bill - Cap'n knew what team building was... before it was cool.
Jessica - Maybe the rest of the series will remind you of others...
Michelle - There are many that had no idea what 'Change' meant...
Missy - He is probably hangout out on the York River on a sailboat...
Lola - Thank you very much.
Great post, enjoyed reading it.
Jean - Thanks.