Welcome to the Wolff Learning Blog!
Fire it up
The #WolffWay
W- Work ethic
O- Off time
L- Lead with integrity
F- Find your passion
F- Find a way
There are times where we need to find a way to get the job done. Sometimes we need to put the off time to the side and activate our strong work ethic. We need to meet what the circumstances call for. We need to fire it up.
At the age of 19 I began working as a bartender for a restaurant at a AAA baseball stadium. I was nervous and probably not ready for the moment at the time. Thankfully my oldest brother pushed me off the porch and behind the bar. For that I'm thankful.
In addition to working at that restaurant, I also served adult beverages on a VIP deck at a nearby concert venue. In my time at the restaurant and concert venue, I also worked as a line and prep cook where I learned other skill sets. Thank you to the chefs who taught me. To them, I'm thankful.
Over the course of 13 years I cooked meals and bartended at corner bars. I also tended bar at a fine dining restaurant. I learned many skills in these environments and worked with so many great people. I learned teamwork, how each team member had a role, and honed my interpersonal skills. I carried the skills I acquired as a bartender and cook for the rest of my life. As a person who now interviews people, I put heavy consideration into people with experience in a restaurant. There is no substitute.
One of the best lessons I learned was that there are times where you have to fire it up to meet the demands of the circumstances. During these times, I also learned another lesson. We will get to that in a minute. First, let's fire it up.
When you fire it up, you have to go faster than you thought possible. You have to multitask. You have to handle the pressure of people making multiple demands (often standing right in front of you!) simultaneously. There are few things that compare with 4 rows of people all wanting an adult beverage calling your name and waving money so you take their drink order. The demands!
You have to activate your work ethic by working longer hours and finding a way to get the job(s) done. You have to become laser focused on multiple tasks. This is a real challenge because this may take several days, weeks, or months. In my current leadership position as a central level administrator in a school district servicing 9,300 students and about 1,100 staff members, I face the same situations albeit in a much higher pressure role. The mindset is the same though.
Now the second lesson. I learned that sometimes you have to turn the burner down. You have to lower the flame. For me personally, I found that I cannot sustain the (lightning) fast pace for long periods of time. It's likely there are people out there who can. I have found my mental and emotional health deteriorate. We need to incorporate off time to reset and recharge, even for a weekend. We have to take care of ourselves and our loved ones.
The moral of the story is keep a fast pace and fire it up when needed but also recognize there are only so many hours in the day. Do the best you can and give every ounce to the tasks at hand. For me, this allows me to lay my head down on the pillow at night knowing I gave it my all.
I hope this helps you too.
