The other day a colleague wanted to impress someone by sharing a compliment I had paid. But the person she wanted to impress had never heard of me, so my colleague referred to me as an "employee communication guru.”
I was embarrassed, until I remembered: This is how all gurus get made. I've made some gurus myself in this way, simply by calling them gurus in order to get other people to listen to what they have to say. (In some cases, getting them to pay to listen, at conferences.)
It’s the same reason that “connections” are so important in business—and always will be, Facebook and LinkedIn notwithstanding.
Using a “connection” smacks of cronyism, but a "connection" is usually just an answer to the question,
If he’s so good, why haven’t I ever heard of him?
Well, Chief, someone who you know has heard of him. (And actually, he’s considered something of a guru.)
Well, by all means, send him right in!
That’s the nifty thing about being a guru – it’s a title that really can only be applied by someone else. You can’t really just introduce yourself as a guru (except, I suppose, if you are one in the original religious context) and expect to be taken seriously. It’s an honorific title. So congratulations on your guruness, David.
Oh that’s just great! Thanks A LOT Reuben! Now he’s going to expect us all to address him as “Your Guruness” before posting comments.
Seriously, though, I do agree with Reuben in that not only is this particular honourific conferred by others, but is also a pretty darn nice compliment about how others see your insights and opinions, i.e. with respect and admiration.
Hey guys, I didn’t say it didn’t make my afternoon!
The greatest title I’ve ever had applied to me was “the hors d’oeuvres queen,” earned after providing finger foods for several political fundraisers. My greatest achievement was food for 300 for a non-profit art gallery’s fundraiser–with a budget of $100. I’m proud to say the offerings for the evening even included a nice little shrimp dish.
Would that I could ever achieve some similar fame for any little thing my brain could produce (that wasn’t driven by gastric cravings).
David, I’m proud of you.
Although never called a guru, I did have the dubious distinction of sitting in a meeting of senior execs and having one of them refer to me as “the human thesaurus.” I’m still trying to figure out if that is a step up or down from being “the office word nerd.”
@Joan: You are an entirely trustworthy, always accurate all-things Alaska guru, at least to the crowd that gathers in this tavern.
@Reuben: Sounds like a lateral move to me.
On Joan: I concur – definitely the “Alaska Knowledge/Insight guru”
On Reuben: I don’t know, “thesauraus” is a more high-falutin sort of word than “nerd”. Plus the new title came from a senior hoo-ha. So I think we can get away with calling this a promotion.
Just my two-cents.
I like the Dr. Pepper reference. I visualized David, in a white shirt and black vest, skipping through downtown Chicago like some kind of a freakish Pied Piper of employee communications.
Ron, this is a public blog. Our fantasies don’t have a place.