The Relationship Difference by Rommel Anacan
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Training & Speaking
    • Consulting
    • Your Training Department
    • Multi-Family Housing
    • Video Production Services
  • Meet Rommel
  • Speaking Samples
  • Fan Feedback
  • Contact Us

It's Our Blog!

Grab a cup of coffee, relax for a minute or two, find your happy place, read the posts and join in the conversation!

First Time Visitor?

Improving the Work Environment: Can I Order My Food?

10/29/2012

2 Comments

 
Have you ever noticed when eating at a restaurant that the waiter waits for you to order your food, before bringing you any food. (Okay, except maybe for a basket of bread or chips and salsa.)

Can you imagine if the waiter just dumped a bunch of food in front of you and expected you to eat (and pay for) whatever he brought to your table? 

You: "Um, excuse me...I'm allergic to shellfish and you brought me clams, mussels and scallops!" 
Waiter: "That's what I'm giving you today! That will be $25.99 plus tax, please. Have a nice day."

Let me ask you another question: Have you ever worked with someone who just seemed to talk to you, whether you wanted her to or not? You know the person who seemed to ignore the fact that you have 10 files on your desk, multiple windows open on your computer, the voice mail light flashing on your phone and a "to-do" list a mile long. 

Here's another question . . . have you ever been that person? Are you that person right now? 
Picture
Photo credit FreeDigitalPhotos.net
If you want to have good relationships with the people that you work with, it helps to understand when and how to engage them in conversations. While we all like to chat with people, some times are simply better than others, right? 

I used to have someone that I worked with who always seemed to corner me at the wrong time. She would go on and on and on about her weekend, the idiot boyfriend, her family, the dog, and, well, you get the picture! I liked her to begin with, but overtime I started trying to avoid her just so I wouldn't get sucked in to another long conversation. 

Just like the waiter story at the beginning of this post, consider thinking of the conversation process with your co-workers as a lot like ordering food in a restaurant. 

Let your co-workers view the "menu," consider the specials and then see what they're in the mood for. If it's a five course meal, take the time and enjoy it with them.  If they only have time (or want time) for appetizers and a drink, don't go ordering soup, salad, breadsticks, appetizers, and dessert. If they just want something from the "to go" menu, don't try to convince them to have a sit down meal! 

You see where I'm going with this? A smart waiter waits for the diner to choose from the menu before bringing the food out! A smart team member does the same. (Trust me, your co-workers will thank you!)

How have you handled co-workers that didn't let you "order your food?"
2 Comments
Bridget Willard link
4/12/2013 08:19:05 am

Right; we need to be aware of the social cues and be cognizant of the fact that although we develop relationships with our coworkers as a byproduct of proximity, our purpose is to produce for our employer.

Reply
Rommel
4/15/2013 03:15:03 am

So true! I know that isn't always a popular view with some employees nowadays, (=, but it is the truth. Thanks for reading and commenting, Bridget!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Rommel Anacan

    I am a national speaker, trainer, and strategic consultant to companies and organizations. I'm also
    the president and founder of The Relationship Difference a professional and personal development company in Orange County, California.

    My passion is helping people succeed by helping them connect, communicate and engage with the people around them more effectively. 

    More about me and this blog here!

    FIRST TIME HERE?

    Most Read Posts

    • How to Lose a Customer in 10 Seconds
    • Break-Up! When Change is a Great Thing
    • The Second Button-Lessons From the Famous Seinfeld Episode
    • Why People Love Southwest Airlines
    • When Do You Take a Chance on Your Dreams?
    • Communicating in Social Media
    • It's a Wonderful Movie
    • Someone to Believe in Me
    • Can I Order Some Food First? Improving the Work Environment
    • Renew, Refresh and Restore!
    • Developing a Leadership Culture



    Archives

    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

Site Menu

Home
About Us

Meet Rommel 

Speaking Samples

Fan Feedback!
Blog

Contact Us

Why Us?

"...The audience was captivated by his presentation and they all left there raving about Rommel.  If you ever want to hire someone with a relatable presentation style, that can also back it up with years of experience ... Rommel is the man to do it!  No question about it….

-Marie Simpson, Director of Membership & Educational Programs – PAA Central
Copyright 2011 | The Relationship Difference | All Rights Reserved  
Photos used under Creative Commons from Jessa B.C., roland, Joits, Veronique Debord, a4gpa, Neon Tommy, Keith Allison, phoenixshade, ThinkGeoEnergy, psigrist, Tony Fischer Photography, Jeffrey Beall, permanently scatterbrained, tastybit, Chris Winters, jurvetson, DWallis, North Devon Council, gnuckx, fabbio, NicoleElocin, marragem, Andy M¢, Gage Skidmore, JohnSeb, zzpza, Luigi Rosa, Erin Costa, justinbaeder, Jeffrey Beall, Keith Allison, neil conway, devinStein, losol, wanderingone, Bludgeoner86, vasilemadalin, wjarrettc, paulhami, Shaun Greiner, DonkeyHotey