Little things count for a lot

It only took a simple gesture on my part for me to be offered the job of director of consultations and client relations by Dick Fulford.

Dick was the ADM of Excise at the time and the brains behind the introduction of the GST.  I had previously been DG of Communications for Customs and Excise, but politics intervened and I was shuffled out of  that job by a guy parachuted in from the Privy Council Office.  Naturally, he felt threatened and got rid of me.

After a few other jobs in the department, the GST was introduced.  "Why don't we put Nancy Marley-Clarke into the job of consultations and client relations?" Dick said to then DM Louis Huneault while they were playing golf.

That's where I am sure the sympathy card played a role.  Dick's wife had recently died and I had sent him one.  That's how I was reared.  You go to the funeral parlour, you send the sympathy card, you make the call when a colleague or loved one has died.  It also helped that I went to the funeral home when Louis' sister had died a few years earlier.  I believe these little things count and set one apart.

Sadly, Dick just died and of course Louis popped into my head.  

Dick Fulford

They were very close and so I picked up the phone and called Louis.  Although surprised after so many years of not being in contact, he probably wasn't.  So, we had a great chat and catch-up, as well as a few laughs over stuff that had gone on so many years ago. 

It was a delight reporting directly to the deputy minister -- especially a guy like Louis.  I had a weekly meeting with him and he never cancelled because my rule of thumb was a minute per item.  Five items, five minutes.  I had already done the work and research and, because he was so smart, a very quick study.  I presented my question or case and he said yay or nay.  

I have been very lucky.  My personal rank had been EX 01, but I over-filled a few positions after my stint as DG.  In one such job, I was encouraged to officially take the lower-ranked job and was all set to sign the offer when my phone rang.  "Nancy, you can't take that position," said pay clerk Dale Coburn.  "Why not?" I asked.  "Because your salary will drop markedly."

How had no one told me this?  I was floored!  Dale was another angel on my shoulder because I was always nice to him whenever we met.  Although he was not an EX, I treated Dale with the utmost respect because he was the guy who managed people's pay cheques.  Not someone to be trifled with.

So huge thanks to Dale and Dick and Louis.  I think of them every time my pension hits my bank account.