Tuesday morning… and my office kind of stinks. I’m trying to minimize eye contact with my coworkers not wanting anyone to feel awkward about the stench, nor wanting to take responsibility for it.
Wednesday… I work from home hoping the stench would just go away.
Thursday… I go into the office, no stench at the entrance, as I’m walking down the hallway to my office, my optimism grows dim… I walk into my office only to be met by a thick wall of death!!
I rounded up 3 of the guys and told them, “something is dead in the office”, they all agreed and said “it’s in the basement”, I asked “who went down there to check it out?”….. Silence.
In an attempt to rally some courage I said, “Men… Let’s go…” they chuckled, and I proceeded to go down in the basement by myself to investigate the carnage, it was clean. I went back to my office, stuck my nose in the heating vent and took a wiff… I thank the good Lord and the innate control over my gag reflex, because I would have been cleaning up more than a decomposing mammal in our duct work – had I not gotten a grip on my breakfast.
I wrestled with the funk throughout the day, working at the other end of the building. I finally called a service to come and deal with the death.
Friday… I get to work, I’m met with hope, the heating and AC guy greets me. He pulled out his arsenal of equipment and immediately went to work assuring me that he’ll get the job done.(This guy is a professional warrior! Hope was on my horizon.)
An hour later I can hear him packing up, memories of our first child’s ultrasound, and the excitement I had of finding out we were having a girl are flashing through my mind. I met the AC guy in the hall, no announcement – so I initiated – “what was it?” He responded, “I couldn’t find anything… he’ll dry out eventually and stop stinking.”
Awkward pause………….. Followed by AC guy picking up his ladder and walking down the hall.
AC guy stops, turns around and says, “crank the heat, that’ll speed it up.
My leadership take aways from the wretched funk in the office this week:
- Complete avoidance … my first response.
- I can sit in it and just put up with… which I tried.
- Wonder around unproductively looking for people to whine to about the stench… which I did.
- Look outside my resources for a solution… I’m not paying AC guy that’s for sure.
- Man up and LEAD!… Hey I wouldn’t go to the office this weekend, I’m baking a decomposing critter in our heating system.
genius.
Wow! I’m glad I wasn’t there! Although, I probably would have been able to find that stinky critter. I have knack for finding things, being adventurous enough to go and find it and then have the boldness to get rid of it. You should have called me! Hahaha… JK. Loved the story.
I’ll Pay you Cash girl, bring it on… although your offer did make me think… my AC guy went to great lengths to NOT find my problem. You think?
LOL