This really does happen. Seriously.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Positive Outlook on Business
I really like this video. It's a great contrast to all the corporate bashings one hears these days. It shows business in a positive light: as an efficient, creative, life improving, competitive, capital producing force.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
100th Objectivist Roundup
Go check out the 100th Objectivist Roundup! It's a collection of articles from Objectivist bloggers every week. Good thought provoking stuff.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
First Week on the Job
I've been officially handling my own tables at work now for almost a week. And I absolutely love it!
Last summer I worked as a hostess in a restaurant that wasn't as established as the one I'm in now. Often it was slow in between mealtimes and I spent most of my time reading at the hostess stand (mostly Atlas Shrugged!). My coworkers were ok, but I was so bored and had little interaction with the people who came in.
This summer I wanted to get a job waitressing because it was more challenging, and it payed more. So I applied to a restaurant near the highway as a server. The people I work with are lively and friendly (though the grill cooks are a bit testy), I'm always moving (which feels way better than standing in one spot all day), I talk to more customers, and it's more stimulating than seating. I enjoy when we get rushed and I challenge myself to turn tables wuickly. I also enjoy when it's calmer and I can really chat with the guests. The pay is much better, and I like that I can directly affect my tips by how well I do my job. I've used what I've made so far to buy an iPhone off my dad! I also love that everyone brings in their kids. I'm such a sucker for kids.
At the end of a shift (usually late night) I have a wonderful sense of exhaustion. It feels good knowing that I've done well and having a pocketful of cash to prove it. I plan to transfer when I go back to school. Then I can be a college kid who's a little less poor.
Last summer I worked as a hostess in a restaurant that wasn't as established as the one I'm in now. Often it was slow in between mealtimes and I spent most of my time reading at the hostess stand (mostly Atlas Shrugged!). My coworkers were ok, but I was so bored and had little interaction with the people who came in.
This summer I wanted to get a job waitressing because it was more challenging, and it payed more. So I applied to a restaurant near the highway as a server. The people I work with are lively and friendly (though the grill cooks are a bit testy), I'm always moving (which feels way better than standing in one spot all day), I talk to more customers, and it's more stimulating than seating. I enjoy when we get rushed and I challenge myself to turn tables wuickly. I also enjoy when it's calmer and I can really chat with the guests. The pay is much better, and I like that I can directly affect my tips by how well I do my job. I've used what I've made so far to buy an iPhone off my dad! I also love that everyone brings in their kids. I'm such a sucker for kids.
At the end of a shift (usually late night) I have a wonderful sense of exhaustion. It feels good knowing that I've done well and having a pocketful of cash to prove it. I plan to transfer when I go back to school. Then I can be a college kid who's a little less poor.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Seniority vs. Merit
In marching band, leadership roles were given primarily based on seniority. Everyone looked forward to senior year because they would be in charge of their section, and the band as a whole. The directors looked to seniors to maintain order, provide a positive example, help teach the rookies technique, and create a friendly atmosphere within the band. But was it a good system?
I've seen some great leaders come through the band. There have been seniors who motivated us to push through the most extreme practice conditions: the entire band out on the hot asphalt during 110 heat index, when all the other athletes had gone inside or the guard on a frozen football field at 6 am on a show day. They were patient with beginners, hard on us when needed, and ultimately respected for holding themselves to high standards. But did those qualities magically appear when they became seniors?
No. The best leaders had these innate qualities, and worked to improve them. Unfortunately, more often have I seen bad leaders than good. Many in my own senior class were impatient, hypocritical, yelled at their section, slacked off on work, and were resented by their underclassmen. They had no business being leaders, but were automatically given that right because they had "done the time" as underclassmen, as if year in the program somehow earned them a leadership position.
If years of experience were the true measure of leadership ability, I would have been overshadowed by many underclassmen. I joined the band junior year. Most people in my class had been in band since eighth grade and some sophomores then had 3 years on me. So senior year I was in an awkward position of leading a guard where some underclassmen were better than me. However, my graduating class was also one of the biggest, so there were 7 other girls to lead with me. Rather than take the role of commander (which many girls relished doing), I tried to lead by example. I followed the standards I expected of the other girls (good posture, following directions, keeping quiet, using downtime to practice), and acted as a teacher and helper when the younger girls needed me. I let the captains do their job and refrained from barking orders at the guard. It did well for me. I forged good relationships with the girls, did not get caught up in power struggles, and wasn't hypocritical in my expectations of the guard. I realized where I stood in terms of ability and acted accordingly (i.e. I sucked at rifle and refrained from critiquing in that area).
I wish more leaders had done that. I watched train wrecks every year as power goes to the heads of unprepared seniors. People fought and yelled when they should have been learning and practicing. The end result is wasted time and potential.
I propose a better solution. Instead of automatically granting seniors sway over their section, give leadership positions to those who deserve it. Give it to those who have proven themselves level headed, dedicated, and able to deal with peers. If the band (and other institutions) would adopt that policy, it would become a more efficient group of happier people.
I've seen some great leaders come through the band. There have been seniors who motivated us to push through the most extreme practice conditions: the entire band out on the hot asphalt during 110 heat index, when all the other athletes had gone inside or the guard on a frozen football field at 6 am on a show day. They were patient with beginners, hard on us when needed, and ultimately respected for holding themselves to high standards. But did those qualities magically appear when they became seniors?
No. The best leaders had these innate qualities, and worked to improve them. Unfortunately, more often have I seen bad leaders than good. Many in my own senior class were impatient, hypocritical, yelled at their section, slacked off on work, and were resented by their underclassmen. They had no business being leaders, but were automatically given that right because they had "done the time" as underclassmen, as if year in the program somehow earned them a leadership position.
If years of experience were the true measure of leadership ability, I would have been overshadowed by many underclassmen. I joined the band junior year. Most people in my class had been in band since eighth grade and some sophomores then had 3 years on me. So senior year I was in an awkward position of leading a guard where some underclassmen were better than me. However, my graduating class was also one of the biggest, so there were 7 other girls to lead with me. Rather than take the role of commander (which many girls relished doing), I tried to lead by example. I followed the standards I expected of the other girls (good posture, following directions, keeping quiet, using downtime to practice), and acted as a teacher and helper when the younger girls needed me. I let the captains do their job and refrained from barking orders at the guard. It did well for me. I forged good relationships with the girls, did not get caught up in power struggles, and wasn't hypocritical in my expectations of the guard. I realized where I stood in terms of ability and acted accordingly (i.e. I sucked at rifle and refrained from critiquing in that area).
I wish more leaders had done that. I watched train wrecks every year as power goes to the heads of unprepared seniors. People fought and yelled when they should have been learning and practicing. The end result is wasted time and potential.
I propose a better solution. Instead of automatically granting seniors sway over their section, give leadership positions to those who deserve it. Give it to those who have proven themselves level headed, dedicated, and able to deal with peers. If the band (and other institutions) would adopt that policy, it would become a more efficient group of happier people.
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