I went to a library to borrow "Talent is overrated" by Geoff Colvin and found that it was not there. I often look at other books nearby and almost as often find something also of interest. This time it was "The Art of Happiness at Work" by the Dalai Lama and Herbert Cutler.
I have long been out of the work force but I thought anything by the Dalai Lama would be interesting. I was not wrong. I have scribbled a few notes on the loan slip and some of them follow.
In the chapter "The Human Factor", Cutler writes how two different cashiers affected the work environment in a supermarket. One is efficient and quick but sullen, rarely speaking. The other engages with the customers and even remembers what they bought previously. On the days the second works, the mood of the store is much brighter. Cutler quotes a bagboy, "things just seem to go better on the day's she's working."
Cutler asked the Dalai Lama about improving the work environment. He replied that we should "start by recognizing we are all interdependent..." He went on to describe how none of us really works alone; we have to depend on co-workers, customers, and suppliers.
Cutler joked about a counterfeiter working alone in his basement. If you think about it, the counterfeiter is still dependent on his suppliers and customers, whether they are marks or dealers.
