REMAINING A STUDENT OF THE GAME

"Those who teach by their doctrine must teach by their life, or else they pull down with one hand what they build up with the other."  --Matthew Henry

“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.” --Albert Einstein

I experienced pure joy recently during what I had believed would be a relatively straightforward meeting. I came away knowing that I had become the Student, and that the student had become the Teacher, though at the time I don't believe that either one of us recognized the juxtaposition. As I drove home that evening, I found myself smiling as I became consciously aware of the lived lessons that the young manager had imparted upon me.

A client had invited me to visit one of its sites to counsel and advise one of its newer general managers (I'll refer to him as "Ron") regarding a sensitive human resource matter that he would soon have to address with one of his employees. The client operates a number of locations of a casual theme dining restaurant under a franchise agreement, and given my employment in the industry for a number of years before entering law school, I naturally gravitate to and identify with some of the unique staffing and human resource management challenges of the larger marketplace. I had not met Ron previously, and we were scheduled to sit down at 8:45 p.m.

Having arrived a few minutes early and not wishing to disturb Ron or disrupt his team as it concluded its weekday dinner rush, I took a seat in the lounge area and ordered a glass of iced tea to catch up on messages while I waited for the appointed time. The restaurant appeared very busy for an evening early in the week, and I began to take notice of the environment and the work going on about me, if it could even be called "work" for it appeared that the team and its two managers were having great fun.

The server who refilled my glass was pleasant and attentive, but not pushy though I declined to order any food. Guests were greeted cheerfully and promptly by the hostess and one of the managers. I observed servers running food for co-workers, and prebussing tables efficiently. I overheard the other manager praising a busboy here and a server there for their thoroughness. As guests were departing, at least one hostess of manager inquired about their dining experience as they held the door open. Smiling people exited, smiling people entered. I had observed a friendly, fun, well-choreographed production that appeared to have left one and all satisfied.

At the appointed time, I asked my server to please let Ron know that I was there. Within a minute, one of the two managers I had been observing came over and heartily greeted me, inviting me back to his office. As we passed through the kitchen, I was pleased to see how clean the stainless steel work surfaces were, despite the busy work that continued. The kitchen team communicated with one another and the serving staff clearly amidst the flurry of hot and cold dishes being served up.

Once in Ron's office, before we began to discuss the human resource matter, I asked him how he was enjoying his promotion to general manager. Ron told me the story of working for the restaurant in high school as a bus boy and dishwasher, continuing as a host and server during college, and how he came to be invited into the management training program as graduation neared. Ron radiated enthusiasm for his company, his location, his guests and his team. He then pivoted to the matter I had come to advise him about, beginning with his take on the situation and his options for resolving the matter. We discussed the options and possible outcomes briefly, and then I left Ron to make his management decision.

Driving home that evening, I smiled to myself, acknowledging that I had met Ron and had observed his history with the company before we had even made our acquaintance at 8:45. Every team-oriented employee, every satisfied guest, every spotless dining and food preparation surface served to exemplify what Ron had lived each day of his professional career. Ron didn't coach with words--he modeled the attitude and behaviors and his team simply followed suit in their own personalities and performances. No ego, no fear, just plain simple alignment between principles, attitude, and action leading to a desired outcome.

I was fortunate to have visited Ron's restaurant and to have met Ron that evening...even a coach needs a Coach each day.

TODAY'S QUESTIONS: Have you developed the confidence of self and the cultivated the utter disregard for your own ego to remain open to the teachable moments that God presents you with in your career, in your community, and in your family?