Comments on: Working Consciously In The Dish Room http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/09/working-consciously-in-the-dish-room/ Ruminations on software and other impossible things Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:58:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Paul Geffen http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/2009/09/working-consciously-in-the-dish-room/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Paul Geffen Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:13:34 +0000 http://www.outofwhatbox.com/blog/?p=565#comment-166 One of the strongest learning experiences I had when in high school was running the dishwashing crew in the cafeteria. I did this for about six weeks at the end of my senior year. The setup was just as you described it (this was 1972 and it hasn't changed). The lessons were: (1) it's obvious when you're done, and when you're not done, and (2) the person in charge has to cover everything. The crew members have specific tasks and they can leave when those are done but the boss owns the whole thing. That sense of "closure" around work was very powerful. One of the strongest learning experiences I had when in high school was running the dishwashing crew in the cafeteria. I did this for about six weeks at the end of my senior year. The setup was just as you described it (this was 1972 and it hasn’t changed).

The lessons were: (1) it’s obvious when you’re done, and when you’re not done, and (2) the person in charge has to cover everything. The crew members have specific tasks and they can leave when those are done but the boss owns the whole thing.

That sense of “closure” around work was very powerful.

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