What is it about human nature that makes us so vulnerable to corruption as soon as we get into a position of authority. People seem to want to take control, power for themselves, and use that as an instrument to gain what they want. I remember someone saying to me once that you should ‘Honour everybody because in your progress you will meet people on your way up, but you will also meet them on your way down’.

Setting the example to others

Treating people badly is a one-way street. We can be unfaithful to our partner and that is something that can never be erased because it is a basic betrayal of our status as human beings with feelings. I know there are many wonderful people around but they do not want to advertise their generosity and I admire them, they are, for such a state of mind.

Jesus said, ‘let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven’. The way I read it is that we show by example how to behave as a human being so others may draw from it as an example. So just to reiterate, they see what you do and if it is in accordance with bringing people together, opposite of entropy, you will shine a light on other people without realising you are doing so.

We are asked to be ‘imitators of Christ’. Other people are invited to model themselves upon us not because we ask them but because the God light that resides in everyone is attractive or should I say compelling. Attraction is something very much for the eyes but a compulsion is something that pushes you from inside. Compulsion can be motivated by good or evil motives but it really depends where your moral compass is. See previous references to compass.

First contact with a possible consultant

Finding technical help is not easy these days. To my web address I get people saying that I work with 300 plus experience professionals followed by a great list of work attributes and skills. These are what we call fishes of men but in another context. They pass the details onto a firm and get a commission for so doing. Guaranteed it will be from the Indian subcontinent.

I have used People per Hour, Sometimes successfully and sometimes not, and I find that within 10 minutes of advertising, you get responses from India or Pakistan from people who have read your complete brief, are expert in what you need, and can fulfill your brief in 24 hours. I have learned to disregard  these people who respond immediately because they simply did not have the time to read the brief. I need a possible hire to say ‘ I have read your brief and…’

Then we have a starting point. I also avoid taking people from the Indian subcontinent because for communication the time difference is a bit of a nuisance and also there is a difference between speaking English and understanding English. Even if I say on my advert that I prefer people from the UK, they are undeterred and still come forward with their offers. While I admire their enthusiasm, I need cultural propinquity (look it up) as the basis for any work except if it is purely technical in which case Indian software people will do but I have this funny thing that I like to speak to people on the phone before I do business with them

This morning I had first contact with someone who may be able to help me maintain my sites, this one included. It had the marks of a possible fruitful partnership. I started the conversation by asking him why there were no phone numbers on the website and he said that they had been pestered by sales calls, so they did not want the phone ringing when they were in the middle of something complicated.

I had previously prepared a list of questions and when I realized that we could work together I immediately email them off for him to read. Preparing for a meeting is vital in setting the vectors clear. I think it is an abuse of someone’s time not to have thought about what your aims and objectives are. For example, if you are in a store, approach a sales assistant, and told them that you want to buy something but you are not quite sure what you want to buy that is a waste of their time. I do not like people who are lazy in the same way that I do not like the habit of being late for an appointment. I’m not interested in excuses because in this day of mobile phones if you are going to be late, call up ahead and tell the people. Being late is a form of selfishness and just plain rude because it means you do not value the time of the person or people that you are going to meet.

Anyway, after establishing our common ground I said that since I did not know him, I would like to engage him for an hour just to see if we could work together. As I said before, you have one chance to make a good first impression and it is clear that we both have the same sense of humor which is an enormous help. People who are totally focused on one thing do not have in my observation the flexibility and the empathy to draw me in to their orbit.

I do not think that in the pre-Christmas time you can expect people to take on extensive new work. Viscerally and traditionally, this is the time to draw the year to a close and tidy up the bits in preparation for a time of recreation and family so that we can start a new year in a positive frame of mind.  Accordingly, I framed my request to the web person in such terms and I think and trust this was appreciated.

In general, meeting people for the first time and with whom you hope to do business should always be done ‘straight down the line’ as we say. I am on super high alert for evidence of aberrant behavior. I cite my diary of 6th December when someone unknowingly dismissed the CEO of the company by a wave of her hand. There is no such thing as a small action. It is either an action or not and every action has a consequence and we must be prepared to take responsibility for this.

My goodness I’m getting on my moral hobby horse early in the day.

My favorite sounds

I love hearing the sound of single engine planes going overhead. Other favorite sounds include bird song, someone mowing, pigeons cooing, happy melodious music in the distance, the sound of a waterfall, the sound of burning logs crackling in the hearth, recognizeable classical music, the sound of thunder when I am all wrapped up, warm and secure in my domicile.