Kilted at a professional meeting

[Geoff Withnell]

I am a Senior Member of the American Society for Quality, a world-wide organization of quality professionals. We are having our World Congress in Minneapolis this week and I am fortunate enough to be able to attend. It did present me with the issue, attend kilted or not? I wear a kilt just about all the time I am not at work. As a consultant, I really can't work kilted, because I am constantly dealing with new clients, and my dealings have to be about the message, not my clothes. But at the congress, I would be dealing with my colleagues, not clients, so I decided to go kilted.

I am very active in the society, so I was here in Minneapolis Sunday for various committee meetings. Monday was the formal opening ceremony, keynote speech, and the start of a myriad of classes, demonstrations of products, meeting people that I have worked with through the internet but never seen, etc. Great fun. And the nice thing is, while there were a few comments/questions at first (all positive!), at this point the attitude has settle down to "Oh, guy in kilt. Well, it IS an international meeting" and everybody is going about their business.

Not to brag too much, but I like to think I have brought a large group of professionals to the point of thinking of kilts as another reasonable choice in male attire.

By the way, I know if there are no pics it didn't happen. A friend has taken several and is emailing me copies, which I will post.

Geoff Withnell