Nov
24
Some foxes could just use a little polish. “Just call me Freddy, okay?” he said while offering me his large hand that was attached to a muscular, tattooed forearm. Freddy and his brother Alphonso own an industrial motor repair shop in Maryland., The business has been in the family for more than forty years. Their uncle was still involved. In fact, there he was, walking around in his undershirt, the usual cigarette hanging out of his mouth, ignoring us all. The place was alive with activity. Behind Freddy were about ten or fifteen other guys, all perspiring in the un-air-conditioned shop floor, assembling motors, applying grease, drilling, hammering, and cutting strips of metal. Freddy looked at me without expression and said, “So I’m busy, what do you want?”
Say hello to the unfinished fox. Freddy didn’t have a college or a postgraduate degree. He worked from 5:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. every day, including Saturday. Both he and his brother were supporting families, their wives also holding down jobs, so that they could maintain a decent lifestyle in a decent neighborhood, and their kids could play basketball and soccer. The last time Freddy wore a suit was in church a few years back. He’s worked in the shop since he was a kid. He’s got permanent dirt under his fingernails. He’s never been to a training class, and the only time he’s traveled anywhere was to Virginia Beach with the family.
This fox didn’t work his way up through the organization like his corporate counterpart. And who would be his corporate counterpart anyway? A production manager? Maybe, but Freddy also oversees all the billing and collections. He has to evaluate insurance for his employees. And he does other stuff too, things that the MBA corporate employee doesn’t.
He’s not only required to oversee a job; he’s got to first find a customer, price the job accurately so he can make a profit, sell the job, order the materials, produce the job, bill it, and collect it. All without a college degree, professional certification, or corporate training. He’s never really learned how to be “professional.” No one’s ever told him the “right” thing to say. He’s never been to any corporate retreats, meetings, events, or trade shows. He doesn’t feel very comfortable whenever he must deal with a larger customer. He’s wary of others, and he’s afraid that they may figure out that he’s not as educated as they are.