Good morning. The train just off loaded. not sure if there will be a delay or not.

This is the text I received from one of the individuals who works for me. The combination of us being contractors and my boss being a bit anal, means that my staff has to get in contact with me if they are going to be running late. It really isn't my style to micromanage such things, but I have to play the game. No problem with that.

But I have told my staff to tell me what I need to hear, as opposed to telling me the circumstances around their problem. I learned this lesson from my father, and some of the bosses I had in my younger days. I'd say stuff to my dad like, "There's a field trip coming up, and the teacher said we need $20." And he'd look at me without saying a word, and I'd ask him why he was ignoring me, and he'd say, "You haven't asked me a question yet." Or I'd tell a boss that I had a lot going on, and I hadn't finished an assignment, and they'd ask me when they COULD expect it. We are adults, and the bottom line is more important than the top and medium lines.

So I ignored my co-worker's text message, because it told me nothing. I can go on any number of websites and find out if a train is delayed or not running at all, but that still won't help me determine WHEN I can expect him to be in his seat working diligently. He ended up being 15 minutes late, and he said good morning to me, and eventually I'll talk to him (again) about sending me what I need to hear. I don't think I'm being a d**k here, but if I am please feel free to tell me otherwise.

The song below is the first jazz song I learned how to play back when I was 12 and an aspiring jazz musician: