Is it just you? Or is Leadership a magnet for crazies?

How about something fun today, so you know all your hard work and seriousness will still provide you with never-ending comic relief...namely people.

If you've ever been a position to be on the front line to the public, specifically interviewing & hiring then you know exactly what I'm talking about! Many interesting people came through my office as a brief stop, while others hung out with us for awhile.  Others I wish had stayed, and still others needed to go a bit sooner.  I have enjoyed so much of the work I did and meeting new people is a highlight for me.  But I have to share some of the comedy.  Here's a fun, short list with a few I will expand on.

"I cant work for you because I'm getting unemployment" said too many.

No, you can't watch online pornography

on my computers.

No, you should really send your (very) personal magazine subscriptions to your home address.

When I walk in the room you could at least try to hide that you were surfing FB

Why does it matter how old I am?  This was asked of me during interviews when I was in my 20's...and I was doing the interviewing btw.

I've had people leave their desk and not return,  all of the belongings left behind including computers, phones, books, personal photos, etc.  We started looking like a flea market.

When I started to visit other office spaces, considering a move, I saw many full office spaces that were similarly abandoned, but everyone was gone!  Oh....its not me at all!

I interviewed a man in his 40's who came in grey sweatpants (the one with the stretchy band at the ankle to make it worse), a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt (an old battered one which are the best.....just not in this situation), and tennis shoes.  I asked him where he had come from.  He said "My attorneys office"  instead of the I- was- running- late- and -was- working- in -my -yard -I'm-so-sorry for- how-I'm-dressed answer I suspected I would get.  I let him know that he would  need to be in business casual for this work, and he proceeded to go into a very lengthy explanation about how he has never tried to change to please anyone and has done just fine with that approach most of his life.  Seemed somewhat curious to me since he had introduced himself when he came in and let me know how he was struggling with his current line of business.......hmmm.

I interviewed a man once and went through a brief description of the job.  His response was to stand up (not a word was spoken), turn around and leave the room.  After I paused for a minute wondering what happened, I peaked out of the room to see him walking down the hall away from the conference room and exiting the building.  The jacket he left behind stayed on the back of the chair through the afternoon and was finally collected by the next morning.  People are funny.

One man, one of the ones that had asked my age, stopped me in mid-question to him and announced, "Wait- I'M THE ONE INTERVIEWING YOU!"  While I believe it should be in both directions typically, I was now not interested in continuing, so I purposely replied " Really? I don't think so." He scowled, abruptly stood up, and left the room slamming the door so hard that it shook the walls.  I guess you shouldn't antagonize someone having a bad day, or life. Stunned, I sat contemplating what happened until an office associate and good friend came to check on me.

I had someone schedule a time to come and meet with me that used to work with us about 5 years prior.  This person had not made a formal exit, he simply had not shown up one day. It is unbelievable how many times this happens.  He began to tell me (through an expression that led me to believe he might cry),  how he had a disagreement with a decision I had made 8 years ago, had worked in some distraught for about the following 3 years and now wanted to clear it up since it had been hindering him from fully throwing himself into his current career since.  I immediately expressed how sorry I was that whatever had happened was affecting him so strongly and how glad I was that he had come to see me, all the while curious about what I could have possibly done to warrant such a reaction.  In my mind, with the emotion he was exhibiting, this needed to be handled and should never have gone so long!  He reluctantly, but determinedly, proceeded to tell me that I had not compensated him for something that amounted to approximately $37.00.  He was very sure I had done it on purpose.  I had no idea what he was talking about.  People are interesting, and this one made me so sad.  After some research and major file/note checking, the matter was explained.  He wanted a mediator so I agreed (feeling so terrible- not for the 37.00 but for the man's pain about it).  The mediator agreed with me that the oversight was documented in a way that showed it was accidental.  I have not seen him since, and have heard that his career has still to take off. Surprise.  Regardless, I'm sad that their are people that allow others (intentional or not) to effect them in such a way.  Whether it was 37.00 or 37,000.00, we must choose who we will be about situations, so as not to be left as a victim.  A victim mentality never ever works out.

I had someone leave their belongings for weeks with no return calls from my attempts to reach them and then call the police reporting I stole their stuff. I'm of course guessing but I believe it is because they didn't think I should change the locks to the office and they should have been able to enter at will to retrieve their abandoned things?  They could have just asked for them.

A woman who's distracting smell was discovered as a symptom of sleeping with her iguana (simply in the same bed I believe).  Oh yeah, and it happened to be molting at the time.  Yes, I needed to approach her about it since nobody was getting any work done around her.  Leadership is such a glamorous job, but there is a lot of humor in it!  I wouldn't want to miss that part!

A man who declined a 2nd interview because his mother told him he wouldn't do well with us (and many others who used a close relative as an excuse).  This man was in his late 20's and said, exact words here, "My mom doesn't think I should".  I just really really really couldn't help asking "Do you listen to everything your Mom tells you?"  It doesn't even matter how he responded...I laughed out loud at that one barely getting the receiver down in time.

Enough for now, maybe more later. I love people! Kind of crazy, but definitely funny!

Let me know about an interesting person you have come across!