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Weekly UpdatesA few weeks ago, I met a woman who told me how much she enjoyed her job. I asked her why she found her work so fulfilling.
Trish (not her real name) is a school nurse. Her school's mission is to help every child realize his or her potential. it is expected that the staff--all of them--will help make this happen. Everyone is available to the students at all times. No boundaries exist between one person's job and another's. Schooling is a team effort and it is up to the individuals --teachers, students, parents, staff--to figure out the best way to meet the needs of each child. Everyone has a stake in each student's experience.
Trish has no job description other than what a nurse usually does: see sick children, hand out pills, call parents when necessary, be on hand for after-school games in case of injuries. Other than that, the headmaster told her to do whatever she felt was needed to be done and to remember his philosophy--no boundaries.
When Trish first arrived at the school, she had no idea how to interpret that. She knew that she liked children and looked forward to her new job. The first week she had the usual run-of-the-mill medical complaints. By the second week, one of the children, a pre-schooler named Sara, was becoming a regular visitor with tummy aches and crying that didn't seem to let up. Trish decided to talk with Sara's teacher and discovered that this child never settled down and was miserable almost every day. With that knowledge, Trish devised a plan.
The next time Sara came in crying, Trish said, "I'm going to give you a glass of water, which should make you feel better. But go over to the sink and wash your hands first." With that, Sara climbed up on the stool under the sink and, crying, proceeded to wash her hands.
As Trish handed Sara the water, she asked her to sit down and tell her what was going on. The two had a bit of a conversation, with Trish doing the questioning and Sara most the talking. This procedure occurred several more times: Sara would come in crying, climb up on the stool to wash her hands, then sit down and talk with Trish while she drank a glass of water.
A week went by and Trish realized that Sara hadn't been in for her usual visits. When she checked with the teacher, she discovered that Sara was adjusting beautifully and the tears and tummy aches had disappeared.
Three weeks later, Sara appeared at the door of the nurse's office with another little girl in tow. As they approached, Sara piped up: "Can you give my friend some of that magic water to help her tummy ache go away?"
Magic water, indeed! Trish was rapidly becoming the school magician as she used outside-the-box efforts to help children.
As Trish's story unfolded, I realized that her "nursing job" included counseling, making costumes for school plays, discussing problems with teachers, staying late most days to watch sports ... all in addition to the regular activities usually pursued by a school nurse. She was having a ball, and no one resented it because it was how the school ran--no boundaries. The staff was tightly knit and mutually supportive. The headmaster trusted staff to do the jobs they were hired for. And it worked.
This is a model for the lean and overworked staffs in many companies. What can you learn from this anecdote?
There are no boundaries in this organization: People go where they find the need. The focus is on the product: children. The environment is supportive, cooperative, and non-competitive.
Does your department work that way? Do you step into the cracks when you find them? If someone is working late on a project that is understaffed, do you offer to help? If someone offers to help you, do you see that as threatening to your job? Is there communication among the staff? Does everyone know what is going on?
If morale and enthusiasm are low in your company, ask yourself and others why. Think outside the box as to how to rectify this problem. It's amazing how much can be accomplished when boundaries come down and everyone works toward common goals. And you don't have to be a magician to make this happen.
Eileen Berman, Ed.D., is a practicing psychologist and consultant in Rhode Island. She is also the author of two books, Dealing Effectively with Job Loss and Building Productivity. E-mail her at eileen22@juno.com with comments or suggestions.
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