“If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.” – Herodotus
It’s estimated that the average American puts in 90,000 hours working during a lifetime. That equates to 11,250 eight-hour days. Phew!
In my case, I have been working fulltime for 44 years, or 91,520 hours. I am truly fortunate in that I found a calling and love what I do for a living. It wasn’t always that way, though. If you have read some of my posts, you know that I had a few different jobs before becoming a librarian. I can’t say that I loved them all, but I can say that I tried to enjoy all of them.
My keys to finding satisfaction in work have revolved around a few factors. First, I like people and generally feel that most folks are good. (I know, Joe’s a fool.)
Second, I maintain a positive attitude as much as possible even when I am not feeling positive inside. Staying away from negativity is fundamental. I have come into contact with those who have a “life is a bitch, then you die” mentality. I feel bad for such people, while staying away from them.
Finally, I do my best to have fun at work. In some professions, especially ones where lives are on the line, “fun” cannot be part of the equation. Luckily for me, I have worked in areas that allowed for levity and amusement. It started back with my very first real job and my first boss, Danny.
I received a full education from Danny, starting with my first day working for him. Although he did display behaviors over the years that I found to be less than admirable, most of what he taught me became a part of the worker, manager and person that I am today. And a major message that he passed along to me through his actions was that you can have fun at work.
It is a safe bet that Danny never read Herodotus or even heard of him. But he certainly was an example to whom Mr. H could have pointed. Danny ran a deli in co-ownership with his wife, father-in-law and mother-in-law. That alone could not have been easy. The customers were extremely demanding. The suppliers ran the spectrum from those who were trusted, old-friends to those who would steal pickles from you. There were always employee issues to handle, along with frequent facility-related challenges. For a different person, such tensions taken in aggregate would tend to make the individual “go mad or become unstable.” Not Danny.
He had an ability to compartmentalize different aspects of running the business. Even during pressure-filled days, his sense of humor remained intact. Operating the deli was a stressful responsibility, but he didn’t let that stop him from enjoying life. A leader with such a personality instills confidence in the staff. In my case, it allowed me to be myself with Danny.
As a teenager, I was heavily into Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which was just then making waves in the U.S. After explaining to Danny about the British group and describing its wacky sketch about Spam, I asked if I could do a special display of that canned pork product. The idea must have appealed to his sense of the absurd – a display of Spam in a Jewish deli. He said yes and even ordered an extra case for me to use. Wow! I am not sure that we sold any more Spam than usual while the display was up, but it certainly increased my connection with Danny and the deli.
Infusing fun into a mundane task can also do much for one’s attitude and occasionally can be memorable. Danny always had a new car – could be a Cadillac or a Buick, but very large and very shiny. I rarely was in his vehicle, as I typically drove the Dave’s Deli van when I needed to go anywhere for the business. One day, though, he had to drive me to the garage to pick up the van after it was serviced. This ordinary chore became an opportunity for fun.
“Tell you what, Joey, you’re going to sit in the back and make believe you’re rich,” Danny said. “I’ll give you a cigar to smoke, and I’ll be your chauffeur.”
With that, he pulled out a chauffeur’s cap and put it on his head. Where he had procured it and how long he had been waiting to use it, I never discovered. Then he handed me a huge, wrapped cigar.
So, I got in the back of his big, shiny car and put the still-wrapped cigar in my mouth. Danny got behind the wheel, started the car, then rolled down all of the windows. He was beaming as we slowly made our way to the garage. Every time that someone would look over and do a doubletake seeing this cigar-chomping kid in the back of the fancy car with a hatted driver, Danny would just chuckle under his breath.
Fun makes work easier, builds connections and just plain makes life more enjoyable for all involved. Of course, everyone must be serious about doing their job and accomplishing the mission of the organization. However, there should always be time for some lightness, humor and pleasantness in the workplace.