More than pipes and wires

Back in the nineties at Puget Sound Power & Light, we were encouraged to pass all four modules of the Certified Purchasing Manager exam and become C.P.Ms. All of us were either C.P.Ms. or working toward certification. We wanted Puget’s Purchasing Department to have the distinction of employing all C.P.Ms.

Everyone in the department had completed their C.P.Ms. except one. And then our final coworker ran into trouble with her last exam module. She just could not get over that hurdle – she took and failed the final module three or four times.  It really affected her. And by transference, it really affected all of us. 

One day, I stole a look at her study guides and discovered that half to two thirds of the materials had been highlighted in different colors. Un-highlighted sentences were the minority. So I photocopied every page to make the highlighting disappear. Stapled all together, I presented it back to her.

“Maybe try again. Highlight only the most important and critical concepts. And concentrate on those.”

Was she upset? Lord, you’d have thought I’d given her a paper cut and poured lemon juice on it. She demanded the original be returned and made such a show that I realized she was not going to do my little exercise. She had invested so much time and energy into her technicolor highlighting that it was her security blanket.

 I finally gave in and returned the rainbow study guide to her. Still, I like to think I helped a little – she passed the final module on her next try and received her C.P.M.

When everything is special (or highlighted), then nothing is special.