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PHOTO SHOOT

A delegation from Africa came for a facility tour and I was in charge of hosting the visit for them. I arranged for various department representatives and a senior executive to participate in hosting the customer. 

Despite being one of the most junior employees there, the group was enamoured with me soon after their arrival. I have no idea how or why, but they started calling me Superwoman for organizing such a great visit. They were also somehow under the impression that I was one of the most senior people there even though I redirected them to my colleagues for certain questions. 

My fan club intensified their focus as we embarked on a plant tour. What should have normally been a 45 minute tour took almost 2 hours. The delay was on account of the delegation taking non-stop photos with and of me the entire tour. Photos at every stop me made, with every poster on the wall, individually and in a group and so forth. The worst part of all was they totally disregarded my senior colleagues and pushed them aside so only I was in most photos. It was a bit awkward to say the least!

As the tour came to an end, I waved them off in their taxi and went back inside the office. One of my colleagues came frantically running after me to say the delegation had turned back because they didn’t get a photo with me outside one of the buildings. So I headed outside in the winter weather, stood in the middle of the delegation shaking hands with the Aviation Minister while my colleagues took the photos. I even went as far as suggesting they get a photo with the senior executive instead of me, and they reiterated that they only wanted the photo with me (Superwoman).

A story for the ages of how my customer visit turned into a photo shoot. Had I known, I would have booked a hair and makeup appointment beforehand!