I recently had a discussion with a colleague about what
employers expect of our graduates. The next day I happened across a promotional
piece that asked, "Would You Hire You?" The question provoked some thoughts about
what is really important in today's workplace and how I may have acquired some
of the skills that might actually result in me "hiring myself.”
Most employers want their employees to be hard workers,
reliable, ethical, and willing to respect, serve and connect with others. Over
the past decade, colleges have increasingly taken on the task of educating
students – formally and informally – to gain these and other essential skills. The
fact is that, not so many years ago, these skills were most commonly taught at
home. I am most certainly thankful for learning the importance of these skills
from my parents and am also thankful for the opportunity to apply them at a
fairly young age.
As a teenager, I had the good fortune to work in the pro
shop of the public golf course in my hometown. The golf pro, Denis Husse, who
is still there all these years later, was a fantastic person who knew the
importance of setting high expectations. He modeled the way, creating a vibrant
workplace that made me want to be there. He used to tell us that the way we
treated our customers could give our course the feel of belonging to an
expensive private country club. We worked hard to learn golfers' names, showing
interest in hearing about their round of golf (no matter the score!). We went
the extra mile to show we appreciated them. We hustled to serve and make each
golfer feel important. Denis also reinforced his belief that treating each
other respectfully and professionally would translate into how we treated our
guests. So we did, and it did.
I worked three summers there – opening the shop some
mornings at 5:30 a.m. and/or closing at 9:30 p.m. – at times working as many as
70 hours in a week – and was rewarded way beyond my $3.50 hourly wage. I was
educated by a great leader who didn't ask us to do anything he wouldn't do
himself. The emotional intelligence he displayed so effortlessly back then is
what I work on every day now – because I know how he made me and all my
co-workers at the golf course feel. Thinking back now, it was a great initial
experience for my working career.
I wonder, if I had not had the opportunity to work in
that pro shop all those years ago, whether I'd be as willing to hire myself
today ... and I'm thankful – to Denis and that old job – that I'll never have
to answer that question.
To share an insight or thankful experience, please
contact me at presblog@mvcc.edu.
