Day One: Check the Cable
It was Bea's first day at the office, and she had one simple job. Her boss had asked her to print one document for an important meeting.
Bea opened her laptop and found the file. She had already downloaded it the night before, so she felt confident. She clicked “print” and waited.
Nothing happened.
She clicked it again. Still nothing. The printer in the corner sat there quietly, like it was asleep. A red light blinked, and the screen showed one word: “Error.”
Bea's face went hot. The meeting started in ten minutes. She had pressed every button she could find, but the printer hadn't moved at all.
Finally, she called the IT helper. A calm young man came over with a cup of coffee.
“It says ‘Error,’” Bea said. “I've tried everything. I've turned it off and on. I've checked the file three times.”
The IT helper looked at the printer. Then he looked behind it. He smiled and picked up a cable from the floor.
“Have you connected it?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“The printer isn't connected to anything,” he said, pushing the cable in. “It's been on holiday all morning.”
The printer woke up and printed the document. Bea grabbed it and ran.
“Welcome to the office!” the IT helper called after her. “Day one: always check the cable.”