Let your light so shine before men…. – The Bible.
If you’re ever short of ideas for a blog, just take a trip to your local DMV. It’s even more fun than looking at all the weird people at the Wal-Mart. This week my daughter had her road test for her license so we made sure to arrive at least an hour before her appointment. That’s when we encountered THE LINE.
About 10 other people were ahead of us in THE LINE. There was nobody at the counter so I asked people if someone had helped them. Nobody had an answer and yet nobody seemed annoyed. A few people eventually gave up hope and left THE LINE. There were at least 10 DMV employees milling about, poking on computer keys and looking at monitors. Nobody seemed to be doing anything although they appeared to be busy. The mood was dark.
Suddenly, one DMV employee appeared out of the back room and addressed those of us in line. She had a big smile, spoke enthusiastically, joked around with us, and got us to the right counter. It was as if someone shined a bright light into that dark place. It was going to be ok.
My daughter passed her driving test with a perfect score but I thought about our experience on the ride home. One person with a smile and positive attitude made all the difference. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t WHAT she did for us, it was HOW she did it.
I know WORK is called WORK for a reason. Nobody said it was supposed to be fun. Now consider the DMV. It’s where careers go to die. Nobody enthusiastically says as a youngster “when I grow up, I want to work for the DMV!” It’s always been that way, even when I was 16 taking my driving test. It doesn’t matter what state you go to or even what country (the DMV in Guam was just as dysfunctional) it’s all the same. It just took one person with one good attitude to challenge my perception.
What about you? Are you the light in your workplace or the one that brings the clouds and rain? You know it take no real effort to smile and be friendly, just a conscious choice. We all get paid for the same eight hours. What if you simply added a good attitude on top – no extra charge? You might be amazed at how customers and co-workers treat you. You might be singled out for a promotion. Perhaps a competitor might notice you and try to recruit you away. I had a neighbor once who was a manager at a Circuit City. He spent his day off visiting all sorts of stores checking out the sales people. When he found one he liked, he gave them his card and told them to call him. You can train for talent, but you sure can’t train attitude. It has to come from within.
This week, think about what you can do to enhance HOW you work. That little shift in attitude might be your key to success.
