… or do something else!

As I waited for my flight to Chicago I followed a twitter conversation between @robbyslaughter and @allisonlcarter on whether is was more important for employees to love the company they work for, or love the work they do. Beginning with a blog post in which Robby warned of the dangers of blind loyalty to a company, Allison countered with her assertion that she does work she loves with people she enjoys and who also do good work.

Adding my contribution to the conversation (My Goal: Building a Company which supports people who love what they do) I boarded my flight.

As a seasoned road warrior, I typically enter the “zone” when I fly. Tuning out everything around me, I hope the flight doesn’t suck. This flight was different, because once I boarded the flight I came face to face with Joe, a flight attendant who clearly loves what he does. A retired NYC police officer, he flies because he enjoys it.

Delivering service with a smile, flirting with women passengers, and exchanging wise cracks, he made the flight fun. From his opening jokes about his apron, to his closing comments about his ex wife, flying alongside the plane on her broomstick he was delightfully unexpected for the entire 90 minutes of the flight.

Every business needs a Joe, someone who’s joy and enthusiasm for his/her job is contagious. But to Robby’s point, as a business owner, you can’t mandate this type of enthusiasm; it springs naturally from someone doing something the genuinely enjoy. The best you can do, is look for the spark of energy in your hiring process.

That has made a huge difference at Roundpeg! Our employees and our customers enjoy coming to the office and spending time with us, because the enthusiasm, joy and positive energy is genuine.

Was Joe’s smile and attitude enough to get me to purchase another ticket on United? That remains to be seen, but it was a lovely surprise to see his face as I boarded the Indy leg to head home!