Miles asked Ruth to explain the team’s expense claim in plain English.
Cross-team learning meant a pub quiz. Shared resources meant chips. An informal meeting meant staying for another drink.
Miles said the form should have said all that from the start.
Then he pointed to the last item: support from senior management….
Miles had been manager for three weeks when he found the team’s expense claim.
It described an afternoon of learning, sharing and building stronger working relationships.
He asked Ruth to bring it to his office.
What did you actually do?
She asked which part he meant.
All of it. In plain English, please.
Ruth pulled up a chair.
The first item said cross-team learning.
Pub quiz, she said.
Miles looked at the attached receipt.
There were twenty questions. People from different teams sat together.
Did they learn anything?
Apparently, none of us knows much about rivers.
The next item said shared resources.
Chips.
How are chips a shared resource?
One large bowl. Six people.
Miles crossed out the phrase and wrote CHIPS.
Then he found a charge for an informal meeting.
We stayed for a drink afterwards, said Ruth.
What did you discuss?
Why we hadn’t won the quiz.
Did that take long?
Two drinks.
Miles read the next line.
A follow-up session?
There was a second quiz on the back of the sheet.
He put his pen down.
Why didn’t you just say you went to the pub?
Ruth said the old form did not have a box for that.
It had a box for purpose, Miles said.
We did have a purpose. We wanted to win the hamper.
Did you?
No. The other team knew about rivers.
Miles looked at the total.
It was not much money. Six staff had spent an afternoon together, everybody had returned on time and nobody had sent him a list of complaints.
He said he would allow the claim.
Ruth thanked him.
But next time, I want plain words.
Certainly.
He pointed to one final line. There was no amount beside it yet.
Support from senior management.
Ruth smiled.
That’s for next Thursday.
What does it mean?
She stood up, taking the form with her.
You’re buying the next round.
If you enjoyed this joke, share it on Facebook and Pinterest!