Monday, September 25, 2006

Life lesson #2

A few tips that I've learned this week. 1) No matter how expensive and fancy do NOT serve grilled cheese sandwiches at your wedding as a first course. Even with tomato soup. Or black truffle oil. Nothing can disguise the fact you are serving 400 people something they can make themselves. At home in their pajamas. 2) No one really wants to listen to Frank Sinatra for 90 minutes at top volume while eating dinner. (Or Barry Manilow, or techno pop, or 80's dance tunes or big band) Turn down the music for dinner. Let people talk for crying out loud. 3) Proofread. If you aren't sure about the spelling or grammar ask someone to look at it for you. Microsoft Word isn't the best guide for grammar advice. 4) Thank you notes are a good thing. 5) Patience and good manners will get you into the first class lounge if you didn't pay for it. I know. But that's another story.

Friday, September 8, 2006

Leadership is practised...

There's a quote I like about leadership. It's on a poster I saw once."Leadership is practised not so much in words, but in actions and in attitude." If only more people followed it.I recently got a part time job. Although calling it part time is a stretch since I put in 40 hours in 3 days last weekend.But the more I see of the managers at this place the more I am convinced that they need to follow this little piece of advice.Take this evening. Everyone is setting up tables for tomorrow. Everyone except the four managers.They are standing around talking amongst themselves and lecturing us on how to do things correctly.And once in a while one of them calls out the time. "It's 12:30. Hurry up you should be finished with this by now."Well, maybe we could all go home a little sooner, if you actually helped.If this keeps up I might offer a little 'constructive criticism'But for now I keep my head down, my mouth shut, and add up my paycheck in my head.