Stupid Requests

I got a stupid request today - someone wanted an architectural diagram so that they could figure out something concerning disaster recovery. For this person, it was kind of like saying, "I need to find a coffee shop in NY City, can you give me a detailed map of the water system, I mean, you need water for coffee right?" I said something witty and scornful and moved on.

Here's the problem with the word stupid, it's a loose-loose word. The person it's direct towards now feels pissed off, shamed, etc And I've just feed my big fat ego. It can get even worse - the person doing the asking may be stuck in the middle and now has to satisfy someone who doesn't know what their talking about with someone who's being to knuckle head. Both accomplish nothing.

But here's the crazy thing: these are great opportunities - their easy! All I have to do is send a diagram and tell them if they need help, let me know. That's it! Sure you and I can see the problem a mile off, but who cares? We've engaged in a dialog (good thing), offered to help (good thing), and they get something to start thinking about (good thing).

So, loose the attitude and use the opportunity to foster a dialog.