10.16.2003
Personal mastery
I really don't like washing cars. I like having a clean car, but get no joy out of the process of getting to clean, so I usually go to a car wash.* For my wife's birthday not too long ago, I got her car professionally detailed to make it look like new.
Those guys spent all day on the thing (it is a fairly large SUV), I don't know how they do it. But at the end of the day, when I was there to pick up the car, they weren't quite finished and I had a chance to talk to the guys a bit.
Turns out there is a lot more to "car washing" than meets the eye at first glance. There are different types of materials to use for washing and drying, the various different compounds and waxes and detergents for different types of finishes and types of dirt. And that is just the OUTSIDE of the car.
I guess my point is that any job, no matter how 'trivial' it may look to someone not involved in it, has a lot involved. Encouraging and making use of an individual's personal mastery in these areas can only help your company and the individuals improve (whatever that means to you.)
* The car care industry is much bigger than I ever thought, check out Car Car Central.
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Those guys spent all day on the thing (it is a fairly large SUV), I don't know how they do it. But at the end of the day, when I was there to pick up the car, they weren't quite finished and I had a chance to talk to the guys a bit.
Turns out there is a lot more to "car washing" than meets the eye at first glance. There are different types of materials to use for washing and drying, the various different compounds and waxes and detergents for different types of finishes and types of dirt. And that is just the OUTSIDE of the car.
I guess my point is that any job, no matter how 'trivial' it may look to someone not involved in it, has a lot involved. Encouraging and making use of an individual's personal mastery in these areas can only help your company and the individuals improve (whatever that means to you.)
* The car care industry is much bigger than I ever thought, check out Car Car Central.
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