darren leySend a message to

darren ley

darren ley

Steve was the last member of the team I met - a rather fortuitous alignment of planets found us both in Paris without prior knowledge of each others trip. He instantaneously treated me as an equal although I was a relatively unknown quantity having just joined the team. His warmth openness and friendship was something I appreciated and something I will always try and replicate towards others. His calmness under pressure and meticulous planning are themes throughout these messages. An example being we were all having repeated difficulty in accessing a clients site abroad and the team circulated many emails over a period of months, each one increasing in frustration. Except for Steve's response which was 'don't get angry....write a poem instead'. The following was penned at an airport whilst waiting for a flight home: I think its the last line that will stick with me in terms of remembrance and life lessons I made a plan 3 weeks ago, For a course I delivered today. ‘Beware’, said my mate, ‘And don’t turn up late’, ‘It could lead to a major delay’. ‘The site in Barcelona’, ‘Has renewed its security passes’, ‘We’ve tried to conform’, (As should be the norm), ‘But we’ve forms coming out of our asses’. So I planned for the access, Uploaded the data, Planned all my transport, Arriving no later, Allowing the time to check all the kit, ‘Cos knowing my luck, The projector is... not working. I arrive at the venue, That I had been told. (I trusted the schedule, That may have been bold!) The security guard was very impressed: ‘You’ve uploaded the clearance!’ ‘You must have been blessed!’ But then she announced, (With a grin on her face), That I had been sent to, The wrong ******** place!! With time duly wasted, My taxi departs, At about the same time as, The training should start. The taxi then left me, Without any fuss, About the same place as, I’d just caught the bus. I arrived to a cheer, To most of the group, Who announced the new timings. ‘Had I been in the loop?’. So, could I deliver, The whole of the course, In 3 hours less?’ ‘Yep – I’ll just use the force’, I used Jedi training, (The mind-tricks and such) To a much-reduced timeframe, Without missing much. So, here’s a cheer for the planner, The man who prepares what he can, Accounting for risk, And the odd tricky twist, That could probably mess up his plan. But just beware of the gremlins’, If you still want to go the full distance, Plan to adapt, in case you get trapped, Have good humour and also persistence.

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