The Game
There is one particular game that every person plays daily. It’s the waiting game. At some point in your day, you will wait on something. Whether it is waiting for the water in the shower to warm up, a red light, traffic, an elevator, a co-worker, or in a line at the grocery store, you are going to wait. It’s just a part of life. There is no way around the game, but you have every choice on how you play the game.
I recall saying many times: “if I’m waiting in a line, then someone is not doing their job right.” I look at that statement now and laugh. Why was I so arrogant to think that my time in a line was more important than the person in front of or in back of me? Didn’t the people causing the line understand the importance of my time? There is one answer to both of those questions. I was playing the game the wrong way. Rather than employee patience, I used my trusty old sidekick of impatience. I’d shake my head, make snide remarks, fidget and just spin myself into a tither and all for what? None of those things did away with the reality that I had to wait.
I thought about the people that wait in line to get into to our tent at the annual World Championship BBQ Cook-Off in Houston. Since I work the door, I get to see all of the head shaking, hear the snide remarks and see people working themselves up. In the case of our tent, there is a defined number, per the fire code, of people that can be in there at any given time. Once we reach that number, we have to hold the line until some people leave. I can’t change that; however, I have changed how I work the door and interact with the crowd. I smile and talk with everyone coming in the door. If the line is long, I sometimes walk the crowd, shake hands, take them a drink, and just do a little interaction with the crowd. I’ve found that taking the time to talk with the people in line eases their frustration of playing the game of waiting.
The reality of today’s world is that process improvements and technology can change the game a little, but the game will always exist. Waiting is just a part of life. The choice on how you play the game though is totally up to you. Choose wisely and play the game well.
There is one particular game that every person plays daily. It’s the waiting game. At some point in your day, you will wait on something. Whether it is waiting for the water in the shower to warm up, a red light, traffic, an elevator, a co-worker, or in a line at the grocery store, you are going to wait. It’s just a part of life. There is no way around the game, but you have every choice on how you play the game.
I recall saying many times: “if I’m waiting in a line, then someone is not doing their job right.” I look at that statement now and laugh. Why was I so arrogant to think that my time in a line was more important than the person in front of or in back of me? Didn’t the people causing the line understand the importance of my time? There is one answer to both of those questions. I was playing the game the wrong way. Rather than employee patience, I used my trusty old sidekick of impatience. I’d shake my head, make snide remarks, fidget and just spin myself into a tither and all for what? None of those things did away with the reality that I had to wait.
I thought about the people that wait in line to get into to our tent at the annual World Championship BBQ Cook-Off in Houston. Since I work the door, I get to see all of the head shaking, hear the snide remarks and see people working themselves up. In the case of our tent, there is a defined number, per the fire code, of people that can be in there at any given time. Once we reach that number, we have to hold the line until some people leave. I can’t change that; however, I have changed how I work the door and interact with the crowd. I smile and talk with everyone coming in the door. If the line is long, I sometimes walk the crowd, shake hands, take them a drink, and just do a little interaction with the crowd. I’ve found that taking the time to talk with the people in line eases their frustration of playing the game of waiting.
The reality of today’s world is that process improvements and technology can change the game a little, but the game will always exist. Waiting is just a part of life. The choice on how you play the game though is totally up to you. Choose wisely and play the game well.
Rodeo Rod - Riding the Concrete Plains on My Trusty Steed - StreetGlide
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