Things you didn't need to know #2

On our internal website at work we have a 'Campfire stories' section. This month's regards the most embarrassing experience as a Consultant. Here's mine

"Campfire Story Submissions
Rob Young

And so the big day came. After weeks of hard work, we were at ‘go-live’ day and I had the honor of doing the data conversion tasks and planned to be at the important customer site early.

I was even running ahead of schedule at home so had that extra cup of coffee before leaving the house for a leisurely drive into London. I promise I had planned for the usual delay on the A40 (one of the main arterial routes into town) and had even built in some contingency (like all good project plans, right?).

Long story short…. Something of a major accident on the way brought roads into west London to a stand still and, as my contingency came and went, I was faced with two rising problems…..

Firstly; the prospect of being late for the start of one of the most important meetings of my career to date. And secondly, well not to be too graphic, too much coffee and an endless traffic jam. (And no the A40 did not have a convenient McDonalds open at that time of the morning in those days…) And so I arrived at the client site ‘in a hurry’. Up to the third floor and straight into a convenient bathroom.

You know there are certain moments in consulting when things just aren’t right… panic over; I began to notice my surroundings better. For those of you that have never been in the ladies restroom there are some things that are missing and some other things that the men’s room will probably never have! That’s all I am saying.

I skulked away from the scene and managed a big smile and handshake for the Finance Director. It was a tough but successful day and just occasionally I thought I detected a smirk or two from passing employees.

Moral of the story, the perennial enemies of consulting are coffee (I am with you Anurag!) and traffic AND if you see me rush past you in the morning…cover me!"