Everywhere I’ve worked there’s been an office wacko. In this era of political correctness gone wild, you probably can’t say a word for fear of getting sued or fired. But I can, and I will. So let this be a warning: if you have thin skin, think of yourself as “enlightened,” or the word wacko offends you, you might want to skip this post and come back on Monday when the coast is clear.
The wacko sales manager. When I worked at NEC there was a regional sales manager who used to throw his letter opener at employees as they ran screaming from his office. The wall by his office door was riddled with dozens of knife marks. I don’t think he ever hit anybody. But years after I left the company I heard he brought a gun into work and was terminated.
The wacko CEO. I’ve had several wacko CEOs. I seem to attract them, or they me. Maybe it’s my Karma. Anyway, one of my CEOs did differential equations to relax on airplanes. Yes, he was a nerd.
Another would verbally approve requisitions and then, a week later, swear it never happened. I never knew selective memory could be that, well, selective.
Their wackiness really seemed to come out during interviews. One CEO never asked me any questions. He just rambled, more or less, about the company, business and politics. I just sat there, nodding occasionally, with an uncomfortable smile on my face. He did say he needed a marketing guy on his staff, but he wasn’t exactly sure why.
A VP who later became a CEO - and not a very good one - asked me to close my eyes and tell him how many Tiki statues were on top of his bookcase. Then he asked me to tell him, without looking, how much cash I had in my wallet. I got both questions right, which shocked the hell out of me and, well, that’s pretty weird in itself, don’t you think?
The religious wacko. When I was a young engineer at Texas Instruments back in the 80s, I had a technician who was what many of us insensitive folks used to call a Jesus freak. He would go on and on trying to convert anyone who would listen. I once made the mistake of actually engaging him in a discussion on religion and almost went out of my mind. He was a great tech, though.
Come on, tell us an office wacko story. You know you want to.
