The Office Worker is Dead
And why skilled labor matters more than ever
“Oh, Bert. He only writes things.”
This was the response I got to my question regarding the positioning of the new gate and fencing I’m having fitted. There was some confusion about where it should be, and I was discussing it with the construction crew — the guys that do the work.
So, I tried again.
“I discussed this with Bert yesterday, and he assured me he understood everything.”
“We understand that, but Bert … well, Bert doesn’t always grasp the practical aspects of construction. He’s just … he’s just an office worker. Therefore, whenever we arrive, we usually need to make some adjustments to whatever he agreed.”
“Just an office worker.”
Ouch.
I got the impression this had happened before — many times before. Bert agrees to a plan with the customer — in this case, me — but the plan isn’t the best or most efficient way of doing things and requires adjustment.
I quite enjoyed the conversation — the renegotiations — and it was evident that I was dealing with skilled professionals who could build and create things. The kind of people you don’t interact with frequently in an office environment.