“Who Cares?”

(2026-04)

I got my first full-time job in December 1978.  It was a weird time in life for me.  I had just dropped out of college after five semesters and was going to be married on December 23.   Curious yet?  My first boss turned out to be one of the most impactful people I worked with at Chevron (probably THE most impactful).  The start was auspicious for both of us.

After finishing my last semester, I had a hard time finding a job and was getting desperate.  There wasn’t much of a market for a 20-year-old who had no degree or experience – who knew?  If it wasn’t for a former Sunday School teacher (Max Hedrick) who worked at Chevron and knew me, I wouldn’t have had a decent paying job.  He found out that I was to be married in a few weeks and was looking for a job.  He sent me to Empire, Louisiana to interview for an office clerk job at a pipeline terminal.

The person who interviewed me was a guy named Bob Robertson.  I didn’t know it at the time, but he had reason to be very skeptical about hiring me.  Bob used to work for my father-in-law and didn’t get along with him (the feeling was mutual, that’s another story).  I guess he needed someone badly, so he decided to take a chance on a college drop-out.  He hired me as a contract employee less than a week before my wedding.  I guess I proved to Bob that I could do the job, because four months later I was hired as a Chevron employee.

I started working for Bob at Chevron’s pipeline terminal in Empire, Louisiana.  We met in a parking lot beside the Mississippi River levee at 7:30 each day to take a crew boat across the river to the terminal.  In May of 1979, Bob and I were transferred to Chevron’s Algiers (a suburb of New Orleans) office.  I continued to work for Bob (even sharing an office with him) until he was transferred to Houston to work in Chevron’s trading group.  We kept in touch, phoning each other often.  Whenever Bob called me and I answered in the customary “Mike Henson,” Bob would always respond with “Who cares?”  I still laugh when I remember that response!

A few years later, Bob transferred back to New Orleans into a trading position supporting Chevron’s Gulf operations.  I was still in Chevron holding a position of Administrative Supervisor in our pipeline office.  I got feedback from my supervisor that while I was doing a great job, I was not qualified for any higher-level jobs in the group.  Bob was one of the first people I talked to.  He told me, “You’ve got to get out of there.  You need to be in Trading.”  He also told me they were trying to get an additional position in Trading reporting to him.  A few months later, the job was approved and Bob asked me to work for him again, so I did from 1988-1990 when I was promoted and moved to Houston.  Since I was still in the same group as Bob, we continued to speak often.

We worked in the trading organization until 1998 when Bob retired at age 55.   After four years in Houston and four in Walnut Creek, California, I was selected to replace Bob in the role and moved back to New Orleans.  Of the three people on the short list to replace Bob, two of us had worked for him in the past.  I remember Bob telling me he was happy to be replaced by someone he knew could do the job.  I was humbled.  I also set about planning Bob’s retirement party while I was training with him.  It was quite an honor to emcee the event, which was attended by many people Bob had mentored.  The Vice President of Trading even came for the event!

Throughout my career, I learned a lot from Bob and his example.  One of the first lessons I learned happened the day I signed my benefit applications.  He told me he planned to retire at age 55 and I could too if I maximized my savings contributions to Chevron’s retirement savings accounts.  He was right!  While I didn’t retire at age 55, I did retire comfortably thanks to his advice.  In addition to the personal benefit guidance he gave me, I learned the following lessons that I applied to my career:

• Sometimes, it’s easier to beg for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.  Bob told me that he applied this strategy often and was successful as a result.  He shared that many leaders won’t make decisions in line with my ideas or timing.  This strategy compensates for that.  He also warned me not to try it often on him!
• “The School of Hard Knocks” provides an amazing practical education for people.  Bob was sensitive to the fact that he didn’t have a college degree.  One of the things Bob shared with me when I signed my benefit package was Chevron’s Educational Refund Plan.  He encouraged me to take advantage of it and supported me when I did.  I found that Bob’s life experience was much better than a lot of what I was taught in college.  His military career (US Air Force), particularly his Vietnam tour of duty, provided experience that can not be taught and must be experienced.  Bob applied his experience well!
• Hire people who are smarter than you.  Bob shared with me that he specifically looked for people who knew more than him.  He learned early in his career that a “pedigree” isn’t necessarily a good indicator of how smart people are.  He knew his limitations and hired people who were strong in his areas of improvement.  This is an amazing lesson that served me well in my Chevron career.
• A true leader leaves a legacy.  Bob was famous for selecting good people into the trading organization.  He left an amazing legacy at Chevron.  Many of the people he selected went higher in Chevron than Bob did.  I view this as the validation that he was natural at selecting high performing people. 

I view Bob as my mentor and friend.  He was instrumental in my development.  Because of this, I invited Bob and his wife Beth to my 35th service anniversary celebration.  My boss, Bob, and Beth were the only ones there besides my family.  It was truly an “all in the family” celebration.  Both Bob and Beth worked for my father-in-law, Jack Phillips.  We had many stories about both me and Jack.  It was not a boring work event as my wife, daughters, and niece got to hear stories about Jack.  I cherish the memory of that evening.

Bob Robertson is the finest example of the power of a mentor I’ve experienced.  I became a better person because of his influence in my life and career. Who is your favorite, most impactful mentor?  If you are mentoring someone, what kind of impact are you having on your mentee’s development?   If you would like to discuss how my coaching could help you improve your mentoring skills, email me at mike@mrhensonllc.com and we’ll schedule an introductory 30-minute session to see if there is value I could add to you.