Best Work Day Ever

Happened about a year ago.  Out of the blue, my manager stands up in front of all of us in the office and says, “I need you all to email me each three things that would make your job easier.”

Huh?

Whoa!

That had never happened to me before.  In 30+ years of working, no one had ever come to me, on their own initiative, without prompting, asking me how they can help or what they can do to make my job easier. So, pleasantly surprised, I composed an email in under five minutes of three nagging never-ending problems I had to deal with on a regular basis.

And you know what?

By the end of the week, two of them were resolved.  One was a computer issue, one a procedural issue.  (And no, I didn’t call for Fatty Fat Fat’s termination as one of my three items.)  The third was, well, asking to revise an incredibly complex and divisive pay plan issue for certain high earners that the company was aware of but that affected bottom line.  Over the next couple of months they considered options, but nothing could make everyone happy.  A year later, though, I no longer have to deal with the time-consuming, lose-lose issue, as my boss now does the calculations in consultation with the owners.

As I reflect back, I think the “name-three-things-that-can-make-your-job-better” should be an annual thing in Business America.  Or better yet, a quarterly activity.  Unlike the complex pay plan for high earners here at my job, it’s a win-win for everyone.

Best. Work. Day. Ever.