I will be offsite giving an all day presentation.

Neither I, nor anyone in my audience will have access to email.

No electronic devices will used for my presentation; thus no PowerPoint, no videos and no web-access.

My packed-room audience will be respectful in that they will not double task  during my presentation. And outside of occasionally chatting with their neighbors, will give me their eyes and their ears.

My presentation is engaging which is great for this audience known to ask curious questions and offer eyebrow-raising and smile-cracking comments. They are also likely to eagerly raise their hands to answer my questions. Often times, the answer is blurted out in unison.

My schedule accommodates three breaks in which we are all encouraged to go outdoors and get some air rather than catch up on email.

Finally, at the end of my  six-hour presentation I will go home exhausted and likely avoid accessing email.

This rare occasion, and the cause for this lengthy out office reply, is the result of my volunteering to do Junior Achievement for a day.

No special parking. No pay. Not even an Edible Arrangement. However, I may receive a thank-you card with signatures, and maybe some artwork, from each of the audience members.

As you read this, I am currently giving my all in teaching the fundamentals of business and economics to an audience of 27 third-graders.  I am giving my all in being the best teacher I can be.

I will be in the office tomorrow with a new-found respect for the teaching profession. I will reply to your email then and whole-heartedly encourage you to reply to any requests for volunteers from Junior Achievement.

Nothing implied here. It’s not understood, nor is it a given.

In a support call to Marketo today, I was told, “it’s like for a programmer, it’s not stated, it’s implied.”

At last! I finally know why it takes some serious studying on my part to understand the world of software and how to speak with programmers.

I don’t take anything for granted. When on a two-lane highway and turning directly into the setting sun, I still check the mirror compass to ensure that indeed I am headed in the right direction, headed west.

Perhaps this is also why I am not a good cook. If it doesn’t say drain, I don’t drain. Makes for a very soupy stroganoff.

So, when it comes to evaluating reporting software, I wonder if I, as a business user, am similar to other business users and want to see a step by step explanation of how to do something.

I’m just an average user in that I know to click on blue text without seeing a “click here” command.” I know as well, that I’m very good at tying software up in knots; unintentionally of course. Prior to diving into a new system that involves the demands of a VP and the afternoon of our IT guys for installation, I look for undo options and assurances that I cannot “break” it.

After 30 minutes on the Marketo support call, and a few tests of the results, it was indeed determined that what the support guy assumed was implied, sans text anywhere to support this assumption,  was not correct.

Call me a horrible cook and a double-checker, but please also understand, I’m assumption free. This doesn’t always work to my benefit. When it comes to data though, I know what is in the details!

Am I alone? Do you like assurances that indeed you are going in the right direction. Do you also avoid assuming things?