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December, 2008 E-newsletter
In this month’s E-note:
What If We All Took Bows? By Michael Kroth A New Year, New Decisions to be Made By Jana Kemp
What If We All Took Bows? By Michael Kroth
What if we all took bows? The notion came to me while watching the Nutcracker. After each piece – Chinese, Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier, Arabs, snowflakes, Spanish, Merlitons, Russians – the dancers swept back on stage, acknowledged each other and, to applause, graciously and ceremoniously bowed. And sometimes bowed again. And sometimes repeated the entire sequence. All to a warm, enthusiastic, and sometimes vocal (bravo!) shower of approbation. The little boy next to me might one day be an accountant, first-line supervisor, or store clerk but tonight – at least for the first act – he was on the edge of his seat. During the second he slept curled up with his father’s arm securely around him The darling little girl in front of me, all dressed up in ribbons and curls, couldn’t even stay on her seat she was so excited. She hopped up and down until her mom shooshed her just a bit but even then she couldn’t stop moving. The boy might hunt Idaho elk for entertainment when he grows older and the girl might spend her free time on skis, but tonight they were part of the magic that is theater.
What if we all took bows? What if the teacher after each class strode around the room, lifted both hands to his applauding students, and then with a humble nod to the audience acknowledged their praise? What if the mechanic, upon completing a difficult repair, slowly and ceremoniously presented the finished product to a standing ovation from his customer, boss, and co-workers? What if the manager, after successfully leading a difficult meeting left the room…and then swept back in to huzzahs from one and all?
Imagining various workers taking their bows made me laugh out loud. After all, when was the last time an employee said thanks to the manager for the thought she gave to making the meeting productive? Usually we just complain about the meetings we have to attend. When was the last time we wrote a note of thanks to the mechanic for the professional work which is done every single time we go to the shop? Too many times parents rag on the teacher instead of feeling wonderment that someone would take so little pay in return for so much care. You can’t buy care – teachers just give it because they do – and so many parents and critics take it for granted.
The notion of a mechanic in a tutu, a manager in toe shoes, and a teacher skirmishing with a bunch of mice (well, that one might fit…..) tickled my sense of humor. How preposterous to imagine them taking a bow. And yet….
…don’t we all yearn for applause, seldom get it, and – even worse – seldom give it? We may not need the stylized ritual of bowing in front of an applauding audience but we do need to feel valued. Artists – actors, dancers, singers – perform for pennies per hour or for nothing – in return for the love of doing what they do and the morsel of applause they receive. In our workplaces we are often chary of sharing recognition and then miserly in giving it. What would the workplace be like if everyone took a bow before cheering fans after a job well done?
This is the season to give thanks. We do that at church and at home. Let’s not forget our ovation for the busy salesperson with too many people in line and no help. Let’s not forget to clap for the call-center employee who, hour after hour, has to deal with customers like us who have problems. Let’s not forget bravos for the supervisors and managers who have the lonely task of cutting budgets, staying up nights to try to staunch the red ink. Let’s not forget the harried assistant we asked to work extra hours to get the rush work completed.
It snowed last night and my neighbor Mike is already shoveling snow. I can hear the scraping. Earlier this year when our subdivision was threatened with a fire that destroyed several houses he was the person who kept watch, knocked on doors to warn people, and gave us confidence that someone knew what to do. Last winter Brent, from across the street, covered my open car window during a snow storm while I was off visiting the kids in Portland for Christmas.
I think I might just go and ask Mike and Brent to take a bow.
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Michael Kroth PO Box 9557 Boise, Idaho 83707 505-450-4248 michael@michaelkroth.com www.michaelkroth.com |
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©Copyright 2008, Michael Kroth, All Rights Reserved |
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Michael Kroth, Ph.D. |