I recently had a messman in my shipboard team whose work and attitude often led me to reflect upon the quality that some of us possess which makes us stand out taller than the rest. It amazed me that, despite the routine nature of the job and long contract period, here he was turning out day after day with an infectious smile ever-ready to be shared with his colleagues, performing his work with a remarkable zest.
It was quite clear to me within the first few weeks of observing him at work that here was a youngster who was cut out for bigger things in life.
His typical workday, as anybody's in that rank, required him to attend to galley and pantry duties besides attending to meal service for officers and crew in the messrooms thrice a day. During other times it was customary to see him scurrying along to complete his routine cleanship duties in the officers' cabins,washing and ironing linen, changing table linen in the messroom - even when it had the smallest stain - completely unsupervised, noticeably perspiring at times due to the speed and alacrity with which he preferred to do his job. And all this with a cheerful countenance and a palpable pride while executing his duties.
He was an excellent baker, dishing out amazing confectionery items and desserts, something that was way above his job responsibilties. Fruits were often presented on the table adorned with his signature cuts or dressing.
 |
| Fruit ahoy! |
Shipboard parties, where the workload was higher due to the variety of foods and accompaniments that had to be served up, brought out the best in him. He would exceed his own high standards on such occasions!
It struck me that other members of the shipboard team had a lesson or two to learn from such a colleague.Performing work way above the standard expected of you is not just a matter of competence.Its about the pleasure you derive from doing the same job clearly better in quality than the rest.Its about the price you put on each task, notwithstanding how mundane or menial.This becomes your signature.
Efficiency of operations and time constraints often mean that perfection can be sacrificed.I really found it so heartening to see a member of the crew striving for and achieving such high perfection in his job.
Small wonder then the messman was singled out for a citation in the monthly fleet bulletin.
2 comments:
Where on earth did you find this guy? Are you sure he wasn't an alien from outer space?
"Performing work way above the standard expected of you is not just a matter of competence. It's about the pleasure you derive from doing the same job clearly better in quality than the rest. It's about the price you put on each task, notwithstanding how mundane or menial. This becomes your signature."
Now that's a great statement!
I once had an elderly parolee who fit that bill. He worked as a dishwasher in a small nondescript restaurant. He always arrived early for work and usually left well beyond quitting time. Both his boss and I tried to get him to look for a better job but he said he was happy in what he was doing. That was his signature.
On the other hand, here in the United States a police officer doing his job that way would soon find himself scorned by his fellow cops and complained about by the public for the arrests he makes. His signature would not be appreciated. Both his fellow cops and the public would probably consider him to be an asshole.
It's too bad that the signature you describe is not always appreciated.
On the contrary,the person I have written about was singled out and written about in the fleet magazine.His outstanding work has been recognised and rewarded.
Post a Comment