Controlling the Menu
May 19, 2009
A waitress uses creativity in using the scope of her position to influence change in her work environment.
Many times the situations we face at work can be frustrating because we often feel powerless to change them. The following example shows how a bit of creativity in the scope of one’s job can help influence change in the workplace.
Recently, my wife and I had dinner with some friends at a nearby restaurant where we dine regularly. As we were looking over the menu, the waitress who usually serves us approached the table, greeted us warmly, and asked us if we had any questions about the dishes they were offering that evening.
We asked her opinion about two of the dishes we were considering. The first one she said was excellent, and she would highly recommend it. When we asked about the second one, she wrinkled her nose, made a face, and said that she would strongly urge us not to order this dish.
“I won’t serve a dish if I don’t think it’s good…and I have a good reason for this,” she quickly replied as she looked around to see if the owner was anywhere nearby. She leaned closer to the table and continued, “If a dish isn’t selling very well, the chef removes it from the menu. So if I don’t like a dish, I don’t serve it and it gets taken off the menu. This way I can assure that all the dishes I serve my customers will be great and perhaps my tips will be better as well.”
So even though this waitress wasn’t the chef or the owner, she was still able to influence the menu. And since she eats dinner there herself when she comes on duty, she’ll be choosing from dishes she knows are good.
This waitress’s primary job responsibility was to satisfy her customers by serving high-quality food in a timely fashion. By recommending only the best dishes, she helps assure that her customers will be satisfied with their meals and she also keeps the best dishes on the menu.
Are there similar situations at work where you feel you have no say and no influence? Perhaps you can be as creative as our waitress and find a way to use the scope of your position to influence change in your work environment.
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