Recently I had a consultant apologize to me. I was initially surprised by their doing so because I didn’t feel that they’d been harsh or rude with me. It was just a simple phone conversation to get their opinion on a matter and I felt that they had been very balanced in their response.
It was nearing the end of what I could only assume was a long and busy day for this consultant, and they were concerned that their tone may have betrayed them. I reassured them that they had been nothing but cordial, and the call ended.
Well, imagine my surprise when just a short while later, I looked up to find the same consultant I had been speaking to walking my way. They pulled up a chair next to me, and apologized again. I was amazed that they took the time out to come and talk to me.
They sat with me for some time, and we discussed life, work, exams, and other mundane topics. The atmosphere was relaxed, light, and fun as we talked about adjusting to the new norm and how we’ve had to adapt.
When they left, they asked me to take care, and gave a jaunty wave goodbye. They didn’t know me from Adam, I had just been a voice at the end of a call, but they felt the need to go out of their way to be kind.
We should all aim to be a consultant like this. It fosters how our juniors see us and what they then aspire to become.