More of the Early Days

While I was still a teenager but a little older I was able to get a job as a bus boy and a very large upscale cafeteria in our town. During my high school years, I was able to work at this job on the weekends and in the off-season was when I was not playing football or basketball I could work during the week. Here I began to learn the value of individual and team performance. My first job was that of just a busboy and there I learned to clear a table of four in one minute or less. I also began to develop a system that would allow me to clear that table and closer to 30 seconds. This was important because during busy times there was a customer with a full tray of food leaving the cafeteria line looking for a clean table every 30 seconds. Our goal was to be able to accommodate all of those customers immediately.

Here again a good mentor was introduced to me, it was the manager of this restaurant, Joe. He not only noticed what I had achieved as a bus boy but also began to sense that I had some leadership skills and started to encourage them.

Eventually I became good enough that I was asked to supervise and train other busboys. Now I was beginning to learn how to manage and motivate and develop other people. I also began to understand the concept of teamwork. Eventually I became the head floor manager and was asked to come in early to help set up the food system and make sure all was ready in the restaurant prior to opening the doors. I held this job and a great relationship with the owner and his son until I began my college years.

Lessons learned;

1. Doing more than the job requires.

2. Recognizing the need to support the entire enterprise, not just my own job.

3. The value of developing a good team.

4. The ability to see all the parts of an enterprise.

5. How to work with a good mentor.

6. How and why it is important to become a good mentor.