1. The Advice
I stood in the faculty work room making coffee. Day four of professional development was about to start, and my coffee cup was empty. He with the first empty cup makes the coffee. So there I was.
I am new to this place, and had not yet made coffee. I looked down at the coffee filter. It was huge, and one packet of coffee didn’t seem sufficient. I looked around to ask, but there was no one nearby. I reached for another packet.
Just that moment, two people who had been talking on the other side of the room said goodbye, and one of them was coming my way.
“May I ask a question?” I asked before she rounded the corner.
“Sure,” she said.
When she stood next to me, I asked her about the number of packets.
“Looks like two to me,” she said. She smiled and walked away.
2. The Introduction
Later that morning, as we were sitting at tables during a break in the training, the woman walked up and introduced herself. I stood up to shake her hand.
“Hi,” she said. “I helped you make the coffee.”
“Right,” I said. “It’s good to meet you!”
Here’s why I tell you this… she is my principal, whom I had never met — that is, whom I had never met until I asked her for coffee-making advice.
Booyah. Awesome first impression!