Competent People: An Introduction

I love competent people.

I find them magnetic. I collect them. That is, once I identify them, I tend to begin thinking of them as close friends. Part of me knows they are not exactly friends. (Or maybe they are.) With the exception of one of them in my current collection, I may not see them months on end. Nevertheless, an important part of me keeps them close to me. I store them in one of the topmost drawers of my mind.

I'm not certain exactly how the drawer is labeled:

Helpful People?

Brilliant People?
Talented People?
Inspirational People?
Altruistic People?
Highly-Trained People?
Highly-Skilled People?
Dependable People?
Hard-Working People?
Happy and Productive People?
Ethical People?
Kind People?
Go-To People?

Hmmmmnnn!? I'm not certain. It seems to me that each of these "drawer labels" fits each of the people I soon will introduce to you.

To my knowledge not one of them has ever met the others in my collection. I am the person who connects them. I keep thinking I should throw a series of deck parties and introduce them to each other. They have so much in common. I'd be surprised if they didn't like each other.

I think about each of them nearly every day in some context. As you see, in my mind, I actively catalog their skills and virtues.

And, because -- when we are together -- we often talk briefly about their lives beyond their places of business, my good feelings and fondness extend to their spouses and children.

Some of us frequently exchange emails, keeping up with each other's lives. Yet we do not work -- or play -- together. In fact, these are men and women I meet because I buy and pay for their expertise. Still, I care about these people. I am grateful they share at least part of my life. I value their competence.

I feel great fondness and respect for each of them, despite the largely utilitarian character of our relationships. Having near-at-hand a skilled physician and barber, for instance, is a great personal comfort. Kinda like collecting a valuable resource and banking it.

This series of short writings will identify pairs of highly competent people who at first glance might appear to be very different in particular ways. Yet, in a general way they all share six very important qualities: each is

highly intelligent,
filled with creative energy,
warm and engaging,
an expert in his chosen field of endeavor,
mindful of advances in his field, and
deeply committed to the clients s/he serves.

In separate segments, this series will introduce highly competent persons as diverse as:

an internal medicine specialist and a talented hair stylist,
a dental surgeon and a university vice-president,
a building contractor and an instructional technology specialist,
a university professor and an administrative assistant,
an automobile leasing agent and a successful advertising executive
a counselor and her administrative assistant

I began this introductory post with the statement: "I love competent people." I then said that though I think of them in friendly terms, they are not exactly friends, as we tend to describe friendship in common terms.

Yet, as I think about these twelve successful people, it dawns on me that I admire them and feel warmth for them -- and from them. I am grateful for their presence in my life. Is this friendship? I wonder.

In short, I celebrate them. Several Greek philosophers would probably say this strange love I feel for them is agape' -- celebration of friendship, of work, of life in general. From my point of view, I present them as perfect pairings.

So maybe I am correct to introduce these postings with the declarative sentence as I have:

I love competent people!

Special Preparatory Assignment: In preparation for the next Competent People posting, the (retired) professor asks that YOU think about your own primary physician and hair stylist. In no more than a short novel or lengthy narrative poem, list all the good reasons you continue to call upon these experts in their vocational setting? Exactly how do you feel about these professional people you frequently rely upon for competent service? And: In one or two sentences, please present your own definition of the term friendship.