Work is Theater

I read a book for one of my classes this week and this was one of the chapters, "Work is Theater".   Before I started reading I was just confused and worried to no end.  I am not an actress, I don't like to act.  But the chapter began to explain how work is acting.  Not acting in a fake, trying to cover something up sense. But acting as in providing others with a more enjoyable experience.  

The main example that really showed this to me from the chapter was talking about a cashier at the grocery store.  The have two options when a customer comes up: they can either just rush through the groceries without talking or they can make it more enjoyable by talking, scanning the groceries a fancy way, or just trying to be happy.  

There are times not just at work but everyday when we don't feel like doing something.  We don't want to talk to others, or do anything.  But that is the job of life.  That is when the acting comes into place.  You aren't trying to cover up how miserable you are, you are just trying to make things more enjoyable and comfortable for others around  you.

Thank You

Thank you. It shows gratitude. It shows humility. It shows respect.  I think this week I truly discovered what can come from these words.  I have always tried to show thanks to those around me., no matter where I am or what I am doing.  I have tried to do this at work a lot lately.  Talking and improving that respect for my boss and supervisors.

I think people realize and notice those thanks more than I realized, until this week.  This week, my boss offered me the new supervisor position that will be opening up in the spring.  I am so excited and thankful for it.  But he told me that why he wanted me to take the position.  I had made an impact on him, through my work and my actions.

Team Building

This week I really learned the benefit of working with other people.  In one of my classes this week, we spent a whole class period doing team building exercises.  These exercises really opened my mind to the relationships that need to be built for a team to really understand one another and work together.  We went through and ice breaker exercise, communication exercise, and problem solving exercise.  During each of these exercises, each member of my team learned a little bit more about the other team members.  Even though we have been working together since the beginning of the semester, we were still able to learn something new from each other.

It takes a lot of trust and confidence in your team members to get things done.  The more I learn from them and not just use their ideas, but combine mine with them the greater our outcomes can be.  Everyone has different contributions to make and when there are ideas coming from every direction, you can be more creative.

Time

Time is a big part of life.  If you really think about it, time controls a lot of what people do every day. This week I learned a lot about how I spend my time.  I had to keep a time diary for 48 hours. I learned a lot about how my time is spent in these 48 hours. Along with doing this time diary we read Elder Oak's talk "Good, Better, Best" from October 2007 Conference.

I wasn't doing anything wrong with my time, but I realized I probably wasn't doing the best thing I could have been doing.

I decided this week to be better at using my time. I want to be better at using my time more effectively, and for better purposes.  I want to be more conscious of how I am using my time and what I can do for others more.



Good, Better, Best