Work in a cafe is not easy. There is a never ending string of mental and emotional hurdles that must be dealt with in a way that is not normal to the average social experience. When choosing to enter the hospitality industry, not many of us are prepared for this pressure and we immediately grasp for the nearest thing that will get us through. For some this looks like complaining and gossiping, for others it looks like completely detaching yourself and becoming robotic, what ever defense mechanism we choose to help us get through the day, we are just treating symptoms of a deeper issue that won’t get resolved unless we go on the offensive.
The latest episode of Shift Break discussed an approach to elevating our service standards that is not very widely discussed.
You could call it wholistic in that we are not making distinctions between who you are and what you do. In other words, we are who we are at work, just like in life. The only difference is that, at work, we tend to put on a mask that is crafted to pull up the slack in what we perceive as a lack in our own capacity to handle the job.
If we want to change how we show up at work then we need to start paying attention to how we show up in life outside of work.
Here is an example:
Say I want to improve my ability to engage in small talk while in bar but usually I feel awkward and let opportunities slip by me. If I try to overcome this inhibition only at work it will take a while because my efforts are limited to only when I am clocked in. If I want to move the needle on this then it needs to be something I practice at work AND outside of work. I will strike up conversation in the store, at the table, on public transit etc. Eventually I will develop the habit and bring it into work with me.
You can do this with almost anything you want to improve. Cleanliness, attention to detail, pre-emptive service, memory, etc.
In order to be better at work, we need to be better in life because who we are will either give us momentum in the cafe, or it will drive us to burn out from the burden of  hiding who we are.
Listen again:
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