Imagine you're a volleyball player, or a coach, or a parent, or even a friend of a player, coach, or parent. You'd probably think your job is to get better at volleyball (player), teach volleyball (coach), or watch games (parent or friend).
But what if your job, regardless of which category you fall under, was also to boost team morale?
I've been working my way through "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath. It's all about creating ideas that "stick" in peoples' minds, that influence behavior for the long-term.
In one chapter they describe a chef, Floyd Lee, who owns the restaurant "Pegasus" in Baghdad, Iraq. American soldiers stationed there have been known to drive for miles through war-zones just to eat a meal at Pegasus. The reason is because Lee sees his job as more than just a job:
"Lee is well aware that being a soldier is relentlessly difficult. The soldiers often work eighteen-hour days, seven days a week. The threat of danger in Iraq is constant. Lee wants Pegasus to provide a respite from the turmoil. He's clear about his leadership mission: 'As I see it, I am not in charge of food service; I am in charge of morale."Instead of serving the same slop that most mess hall's serve in Iraq, Pegasus takes great care in how they serve their food.
"This vision manifests itself in hundreds of small actions taken by Lee's staff on a daily basis. At Pegasus, the white walls of a typical mess hall are covered with sports banners ... the harsh fluorescent lights have been replaced by ceiling fans with soft bulbs."The food is even better at Pegasus, and it has nothing to do with the quality of the ingredients, it has to do with how they're prepared. The fruit is sorted into perfectly appetizing trays, prime rib is marinated for two full days, and spices are ordered to enhance the entrees:
"The remarkable thing about Pegasus's reputation for great food is that Pegasus works with exactly the same raw materials that everyone else does. It's food comes from the same suppliers. It's the attitude that makes the difference ... Lee realizes that serving food is a job, but improving morale is a mission. Improving morale involves creativity and experimentation and mastery. Serving food involves a ladle."What if your job wasn't just to get better at volleyball, or teach it, or watch it? What if you were in charge of team morale?