Meaning, have you ever felt cheated out of something as an employee on your job? Whether it was deserved recognition for a job well done, lack of salary that was rightfully due you, or even if you were not given the correct and sufficient amount of supplies in order for you to do your job as best as you could?
If you have felt anyone of these things or a host of other things then this article is for you. This whole "on The job" column is dedicated to you! This column is about experiences on the job, situations that arise maybe involving other co-workers and management both. This column is a place where I, you, get to vent, share our experiences, get some answers on how to best deal with those kinds of situations and hopefully "grow " from them. It is important to grow and mature! Many people let themselves get stunted by experiences and they never really come out of the situation to learn how to live their best life, enjoying life and all it has to offer. Unfortunately, in order to grow, we've got to be challenged on all sorts of levels, even in the work place! "Tried by fire", as it were.
So, let's "talk". Again, I ask you, have you felt short changed on the job?
Well, I can't speak for you , but I know that I have felt that way and many times over! I've been working for a very long time, so I've had my share of experiences in feeling shortchanged! Started my first paid job at
15 years of age, when I was a Police Cadet working through the Youth Summer Employment Program, through the City of Detroit. Not 15 anymore
(Thank GOD for maturity and wisdom), but I've been working ever since.
I have shared with you in other posts on my blog page as to what my occupation currently is, but for those of you who don't know, I am a Professional Public Speaker, Re-enactor and Story Teller. I perform "shows" in local areas. Along with many of my co-workers, I "perform" these "shows", for thousands of people each year by making stories come to life! Often times, I and my fellow employees, are asked to dress up in costume and perform certain re-enactments in order to help the audience "see the picture" of the story that we are telling! In doing so, for the last several years, I have had the privilege and the honor of working with one of my dear friends and colleagues. When we work together, our "shows" run like clock work!
We do our individual things, but we are a team.
Anyway, So, the scenario in which my friend and I are to work in is like a stage set of an old house and we pretend to "set up house." We tell our stories, acting like women down in an old Sothern town. We even cook and clean. Yes! We actually get real food to show the audience (which they love) Sometimes, MANY TIMES, people tell us, "I've been here before, and even got some old fashioned recipes. "We love the stories you tell and especially THE WAY that you tell them!" This is our favorite place!" We've even had young kids tell us, you guys are fun!
People come to us and are "entertained" while they are learning history of the way it was, from us as "characters". My friend and I are very good at what we do because we like to "play" with our audiences as well as inform! See, we understand that many people who come to our "shows" don't just want to be talked at! THEY WANT TO BE ENGAGED!
Many of them want that interaction between them and us as 'PERFORMERS'. They want their children to learn and have fun as well! Some of my other co-workers, take their job too seriously and try to pour all of the detail into people about the past, but you have to have a balance. Yes! My friend and I give them information, but we also give them that interaction that many of them pay to come enjoy. Oh! My friend and I always make sure that we engage their children as well as the adults. That is important that a "good Story Teller" engage and include the children as well, they are just as important to what we are supposed to be doing out there! They are our future and our job is to "educate" them too about our history's past.
Here's the shortchange I felt lately though. In preparing for our "weekend shows", we were not given the best supplies with which to create our house set up to make it more believable with food cooking. And in my profession, detail is very, very important! So, I was appalled at some of the food we were given to cook for "the house". We were given a wormed out, rotting crate of fruit that laid on the ground for days! By the way, we don't have to eat this stuff, it's really for the "re-enactments" as we bring to life, the stories that we tell! But, there has been times in the past when I was told (by a certain person) that "it looks more authentic when we eat in front of the audience." I was even questioned by that person a number of times as to why I wouldn't eat the food! Also, there is another person who recently delighted in the fact that they like the fact that they get to "taste everything that we cook." So, if you know you want people to eat it, then WHY BRING ROTTEN FRUIT? My friend was there the day they were delivered and she said they were rotten then! She refused to go through them at all and that is how I ended up going through them!
Even still, if we are expected to perform our best then we should be given the best in which to perform it with. If we are expected to do our best on the job, then our best should be provided for! This is just not about apples! But, as for the apple situation, it is fair that I also include, later we were given fresh apples, but we should have been given those in the first place!
It may not seem like a big deal at first glance, but we do what we do, for the guests.
So, FOR THEM, we should ALL being doing OUR BEST on the job!
"Talk to ya" next time at ON THE JOB!
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