About two years ago, my company used to support a bomb prevention and detection federal contract. I had the job of reconciling expense reports our team members submitted and making sure documentation was in line with contractual needs.

About a week into this, I looked at our CFO, and went, “Where are everyone’s mileage maps for their reimbursement?”

Who basically went, “Eh, just ask them, they should have them.”

Well, friends, I caused quite the stir.

The team, of 12-15 guys teaching IED detection and disarming procedures were in a confused panic. It really took them by surprise that I asked for documentation. (I was also amused, internally, because it was a 2-minute task on an online map/route planner, and they responded like I asked for a slide deck proving their worth.)

One of our guys, who had basically been in the IED field for his entire career, sent me pictures of his odometer at the beginning and end of the trip, with time stamps. It was hands-down the best response I did not expect.

Later on, I talked to the executives about this.

They remarked, “We didn’t know they needed those.”

I found out later what was going on.

Our CFO had just created those maps in Google or MapQuest for our employees, figuring a back-and-forth email chain was a hassle. (There’s a joke in here about the hilarity of a CFO feeling employees would take forever to reply to him.)

In some manner, I have come to appreciate this stance, having worked with employees who somehow never answer messages, fill out time cards, or are reachable by phone.

Little did I know this story would mark the beginning of changes I would spearhead, as well as open the door for structural organizational issues to come forth. And that’s a story in progress, which deserves to end before being documented.

XOXO,

Dorothy B