The other night, my parents and I hit a local restaurant for happy hour. We ordered a round of drinks at discounted prices and were hoping to get a final round in before the cutoff time (happy hour ended at 6:30). We called the server over at what we thought was the right time and ordered. She went to grab our drinks but came back and said it was two minutes past the cutoff. Drinks were now full price. She asked if we still wanted them. Mind you, we were already eating appetizers and had let her know we would be getting dinner after as well. But she didn’t seem to think we warranted making an exception or even much of an apology. Was the waitress doing her job? Yes. She was following the rules. But let’s be honest: two minutes late seems a little silly. Of course, we still placed our order and it wasn’t a big deal. But it set off alarm bells for me. How often do we follow the rules at the expense of something else, perhaps more important? In this instance, it was at the expense of exceptional customer service. It would have been so easy for her to “wow” us in that moment. She could have come back and said we were past the cutoff but that she was going to try to get an exception from her manager. She would have shown a desire to please us by averting the silly rule and, whether or not the exception was made, we would have felt special. It would have been so easy! This whole experience made me realize something: When you're blindly following orders, you might be doing your job, but you also might be missing the bigger picture. The Trouble with “the Rules” I’m not saying you always have to break the rules (or even bend them) to make people happy. But we all know there is leeway in much of what we do. The rules are there to give us a structure. But sometimes, the rules are just plain silly. I’m talking about more than customer service now. I’m talking about the business rules and processes and systems we follow each and every day. The patterns and routines we accept as simply being “the way we do things.” When we blindly follow, we stop seeing opportunities. We stop seeing inefficiencies. We close ourselves off to “a better way of doing things.” We must be willing to sometimes bend the rules—or break them entirely—and make up new ones for the sake of the customer, or the team, or productivity, or simply for the sake of innovation. There are plenty of reasons. Business is always changing. New circumstances are always surfacing. Every now and again, we have to take a risk and try a new way because the old way no longer makes sense (maybe it never did)… or because it’s downright counterproductive. Let’s face it: If our waitress had even attempted to forego the rules for our second drink order, her tip would have likely reflected it. Our entire customer service experience would have felt different. And isn’t her role (primarily) to provide outstanding customer service? Is that the restaurant’s primary concern? Do you think her manager would have thought twice about making the exception for a table with a bill totaling over $100? If she were thinking in a “big picture” kind of way, it would have been a no-brainer. I bet everyone has an experience like this, where they experienced less-than-exceptional service because of some silly rule. And I bet at least a few of us have had amazing service—the kind you tell your friends about—because someone was willing to “think outside the box” and make an exception to a silly rule. Let’s think about other areas where this concept might apply. Evaluate the rules you live and work by. (Yes, this applies to your personal life as well.) Where have silly rules prevented you from performing at your very best? What rules do you blindly follow at the expense of more important things? What would happen if you offered a new rule? What would happen if you adopted a new rule without anyone granting you permission? Just to be clear, I’m not advocating blind disregard for the rules either. I’m just asking you to think critically before obeying or disobeying… which is sadly rare for many of us. Chrissy Scivicque (pronounced “Civic”), founder of Eat Your Career, is an award-winning freelance writer/editor with a passion for two things: food and helping others. Please visit her website and download her FREE mini-workbook called, "How Nourishing is YOUR Career?" Read more » articles by this approved career expert | Click here » if you’re a career expertImage from Andy Dean Photography/Shutterstock
There you are: sitting on the beach, covered in sunscreen, reading your favorite book, drinking your favorite drink under the cool shade of an umbrella. Life doesn't get any better than this. Suddenly, a door slams, a phone rings, a printer turns on. You jolt back into consciousness. You're at work, sitting in your cubicle, without even a hint of sunshine streaming in from outside.
When you're working a full-time job, finding time to enjoy the warm, bright summer weather can be a challenge. This is especially true for young professionals, as many of them are used to having summers off (or, at the very least, having a flexible summer schedule). But there's no need to feel trapped behind your cubicle walls. Go out and enjoy summer!
Here are a few tips for making the most of your summer while working full time.
1. Grab Some Foldable Chairs
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Keep a couple of foldable camping chairs at the office so you and a co-worker can catch some rays during lunch—whether it's in the park or the parking lot.
2. Keep A Beach Bag In Your Car
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Keep a bag full of summer supplies for your favorite summer activities. Having a bag (or, in my case, a backseat) full of towels, sunscreen, and swimwear keeps you prepared for anything. Friends hitting up the pool after work? You're covered. Once the clock strikes five, you can head to your destination of choice immediately.
3. Plan An Office Outing
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Plan an office field trip to the beach, the park, or the pool. Just do something fun so your brain can recharge and refresh!
4. Organize Group Walks
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Get a bunch of co-workers together and go on regular walks around town during lunch. (Or you could suggest a quick jaunt over to the ice cream shop.) This is a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.
5. Eat Lunch At The Park
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When you find yourself eating out, hit up places with a deck, porch, or patio of some sort. Obviously, eating out every day isn't really a feasible option for most of us, so look into alternative ideas as well. Pack a lunch and hit the park for your own little picnic.
6. Organize Office Sports
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Whether it's setting up an official office sports team or just hanging out with your colleagues a few times a week, playing sports is a great way to get out and enjoy the weather. Have a field nearby? Try setting up some slow-pitch softball games. Or see if you can get a basketball hoop for the office so you and a few co-workers can shoot some hoops at lunch.
7. Join A Professional Group
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During the summer, professional networking groups often have fun events like harbor cruises, pub crawls, and outdoor mixers. Find a professional group in your area and make networking fun this summer.
8. Have An Office BBQ
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Get your grill on! Talk to your boss about setting up an office BBQ. Ask everyone to contribute their favorite dish, side, or drink. Fire up the grill and relax! Hey, it's summer after all.
9. Wake Up Early
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Yes, yes, I know...waking up early is an incredibly painful and unbearable experience for some of us, but waking up even an hour earlier has its benefits—especially in the summer. Go for a morning run, putter around in the garden, or watch the sunrise with a loved one. Talk about starting the day off right!
10. Strategically Use Your Time Off
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Strategically use your vacation days around holidays. This way, you can make a potentially long weekend longer without having to use too much of your precious vacation time. Half days are also pretty awesome. It's amazing how much you can do with four extra hours! If you want an early weekend but don't want to burn up your vacation days too quickly, try taking a half day on a Friday instead of using a full day off.
11. Bike To Work
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If you're one of the lucky few who live within walking or biking distance of work, take advantage of it! Not only will you get plenty of fresh air, but you'll also save money on gas, which is always a plus!
There are plenty of easy ways to enjoy summer when you work a full-time job. So this summer, try out a few of these ideas and make the most of the sunshine and warm weather—while they're still around!
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