Summertime and the living is easy—but not for a Mini-Mart cashier at a rest stop on the Mass Pike.
That was the assumption I made when I stopped there for an iced coffee on a hot, sunny Saturday last month on my way to visit family in Connecticut.
The store was packed. A long line of customers in a hurry to be somewhere else snaked its way around the junk food displays, inching slowly toward the older woman on the other side of the counter.
“What an awfully hard job,” I thought, as I watched her selling lottery tickets and sodas.
The weather outside is beautiful, and you’re stuck inside. You’re on your feet all day, under constant pressure from impatient, sometimes rude people. You’re exhausted at the end of your shift and you don’t have much of in the way of material reward to show for it.
But even as I was creating this scenario in my head, I still was able to take in the attentive cheerfulness with which she waited on those who preceded me.
It doesn’t matter where you are working, what circumstances you are working under, or at what level you are working, as long as you are satisfying what is important to you.
This observation would later help me to understand how my storyline could be so off-base. Unfortunately it didn’t stop me from saying something intended as kind, but which was actually patronizing.
“I hope you’re able to find some relaxation and enjoyment today,” I said to the woman as she handed me my change. I pictured her freed at last from the tedium of the work, out of the uniform, under the shade of a tree sipping iced tea.
With the same patience that she had been showing toward everyone else in line, she said, “Oh, I’m enjoying myself now—I love this job!” She smiled and beckoned to the next customer.
WORK VALUES
“Wow!” I said to myself as I walked to my car. “What a lesson in humility.”
I had congratulated myself for trying to see myself in her shoes, but as it turned out, my musings were more akin to professional arrogance than empathy. Here I go about teaching others that work is what you make of it, and then I go and make such a stereotypical judgment about what does or does not constitute meaningful work for someone.
Back on the highway, I asked myself why a person might find working as a cashier satisfying, and I thought about the list of work values I use with my clients.
I ask them to consider work as: an activity, a community, competence, competition, a contribution, a home base, income, pleasure, self-actualization, and structure.
Then I ask them to place a value on these items by prioritizing them according to their importance.
As I reflected on my cashier’s choice of a job at the Mini-Mart in terms of work values, I began to see her situation differently.
Perhaps she values work as a community and she’s drawn to the social aspects—meeting the public or being part of a team. Maybe work as a contribution is important to her and she enjoys serving others. Maybe she’s retired, and a few shifts at the Mini-Mart provide needed extra income. Or maybe work as structure is a priority to her and she likes the Mini-Mart because it gets her out of the house.
Work values represent the internal motivation behind a career choice, and they are just as relevant to a Mini-Mart cashier as they are to a CEO.
It doesn’t matter where you are working, what circumstances you are working under, or at what level you are working, as long as you are satisfying what is important to you.
Hi Beverly,
I can’t tell you how much your post this week affected me.
I was offered a job in my brother in-law’s gas/convenience store last winter. The thought of working for someone else after working for myself for 30 years, working for take home pay of 7.00 per hour, and working pumping gas and selling cigarettes actually made me feel sick to my stomach. I couldn’t think of how I could ever commit to a regular schedule and work 8 hours a day waiting on people. My pride lion rose to the surface and I embarrassed to even think of working such a low level job. I was also afraid I had been out of the loop with technology, and thought I had no real skills to bring to the table…
Well, under a family emergency I started working there about a week ago.
The space is clean and friendly and I take pride in keeping it that way.
It gets me out of my studio and back talking to people and using my terrific people skills to help people in the simplest of ways.
I have great computer skills and working the register and pumps is very basic.
The schedule calls for me to work a mere 8 hours a day, 3 days a week…I usually work 15 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.
I have already been in touch with old clients, and can give them directions to my studio and chat with them.
The store has mild air conditioning…a bonus for this year.
And, after my shift there, I can come up to the Guild and create for the rest of the day.
And best of all, I am working with my young nephew, helping him hone his business skills, teaching my niece how to use a mop, and helping my other nephew learn how to set up shelves and greet customers. A wonderful family affair.
I am now also much more focused in my work. I have certain time constraints to get my own work done. Just as I have certain time constraints to clean and make coffee and mop at the store.
Yes, it can boring, but only because I am good at what I do…quick, efficient and thorough in all my duties. I can take pride in that, too.
I am also a mature adult, knowledgeable, with excellent language and communication skills, and people have already remarked on my friendliness and intelligence: yes: the old “what are you doing in a convenience store?” line…I just ask them right back: Well, what are you doing here???…They get it right away and we both laugh.
So, while I sing the song (proudly) “Do you know the way to San Jose?”, I think of my next glass project, and fill the sugars.
Thanks for your blog and your letter this week. It meant a lot to me.
Warm regards, Christie
Great article. I wish that everyone would read this and really take some quiet time to check-in with themselves to identify what their work values are. I see so many people in my private practice that are struggling with being out of balance around their lives and their work values. And often our work values change as our lives unfold. Looking at work with this lens makes it so much bigger, and hopefully with this comes a sense of freedom and empowerment.
Tina
Dear Beverly
Your story about the MiniMart brought back so many memories for me.
My Father (who died in 2006 at 93 years) came from poverty and hardship. But, as he always said ” I was at the right place at the right time and took advantage of it”. He retired from the US Secret Service after 35 years with many awards and accolades from the Presidents who he served and protected.
One thing that he insisted was that my brother and I experience during our High School and College days were many types of jobs. He insisted that no matter what the job was or what it paid, we do our best. He believed that we should never conclude anything about a person based on the work that person was engaged in. He made us see the value in all work while encouraging us to attain whatever goals we had set for ourselves personally and professionally.
This has served me well as I approach almost 18 months of job searches after being laid off in 2009. I have taken different types of work, mostly part-time or of limited length. I have gone into every job with a feeling of adventure and have learned much about myself (even new skills that I can put on my resume) and have met people who have added so many different view points to my experience of life and work and some great friendships as well.
As of today, I find myself ending one job (US Census) and again searching for at least some part time work. This is a struggle and sometimes a weight that feels to heavy to carry. But with what my Father taught me and my curious and adaptive nature, I know that I will be back to work soon.
Josephine
Bev,
What a great story on work and why we do it. Your story reminded me of my experience years ago being unemployed and hesitant about taking a job ‘beneath me’. My friend, who was also unemployed at the time, suggested I use her one qualifier … “Is it honest work?” Why not, I thought. After coming out of a corporate position, I took a short-term job as an office assistant in a manufacturing plant. I decided not to tell anyone about my background and just focused on every day doing an honest job. Before too long, I found I’d left my ego at home and actually enjoyed some of the small blessings of the position – friendly people, minimal pressure, and lots of atta-girls. It allowed me to focus my energies on my longer-term goals. Thanks for reminding me there’s a pony in every experience!
Susan