My house was built in the 1940s. I don’t know much about the people who lived here before me, but I have questions. The green shag carpet? The blue flowered wallpaper glued on with a mystery adhesive almost impossible to remove?

The cosmetic issues I was able to see and solve soon after I moved in. But every time we get anything fixed or remodeled, more questions come up. Right now, an electrician is upgrading the kitchen in preparation for a new oven, and he’s shaking his head in disbelief. He pointed out a cord to me, an actual extension cord that was used inside the wall instead of wire. For decades.

“I don’t understand,” he said. “Who would do that?”

Like I said, I have questions.

This happens in the workplace all the time. Some previous manager decided on a process that makes no sense now. It might have made sense then, or it may have always been a folly. Decisions about infrastructure, from software to HVAC, are made quickly and without thought, often driven only by cost considerations. And years later, as people huddle beneath coats in offices where the air is so cold their breath is visible, someone has to get that fixed. It sucks if that someone is you. It’s worse if you didn’t see it coming.

Listen for more. And thanks for your time.

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