Being bored is a luxury I do not have.
Not the boredom that is the enforced tedium from being exhausted by illness, or from waiting and waiting for indeterminate periods of time without diversions. But rather, the boredom that comes from choosing to be disinterested at work.
Sure, some jobs are seriously duller than others, such as data entry or assembly. But retail is considerably more interesting than such rote perfectionism.
And yet, the other week one of my coworkers was complaining that he found the work at the garden center to be so BORING. It wasn’t related to his chosen degree program or career.
Certainly, I don’t expect everyone else to be as entertained as I am by “facing” the plant stock, meaning filling more pots into the gaps shoppers have left in the flats. I really like lining up four-packs or pots, or bringing forwards pots from the back of the benches up to the front so they are more accessible to the buyers. The quick detail makes everything neat and tidy and complete. Even shuffling pots from a nearly-empty flat (tray) to fill another is satisfying, because then we have that flat available for a shopper to use as they are selecting their plants. (Not only does handing out flats free up people’s over-burdened hands, but there’s also a bit of sales psychology, where buyers are more likely to buy a few extra pots to complete the flat.)
And to be sure, there are a number of people who find “grooming” the plants (removing old flowers and dying leaves) to be just too utterly nit-picky and grubby a past-time. But I enjoy this because I know that removing the dead material will help ensure that the plants keep blooming, will lesson the chance of disease and insect problems, and simply makes everything look better. (A lot of novice gardeners will mistake the natural “senescence” or shedding of yellowing old leaves as a symptom of disease.)
And of course, most of the garden center cashiers are not horticulturalists; they are cashiers with some basic training in how to water and what the difference is between annuals and perennials. But that’s what I’m there for, to provide the expertise in answering questions, and helping customers select plants for different sites.
So despite the varying levels of intrinsic reward in some of the activities, and the vast differences in personal expertise, all of the cashiers can still gain the same kinds of satisfaction in their work. There’s still the basic premise of serving others, even if we’re just loading bags of mulch into someone’s car.
Because that’s what we’re there for.
So when my coworker complains of being bored, and spends most of his time hidden behind the cash register (checking something on his mobile phone) or wandering around aimlessly listening to his music or chatting with a girlfriend, well, I am mystified. And a bit annoyed.
Because like, dude, “fun” is something you make, not something that happens to you.
If you’re bored, then get involved. Help me come up with better ways of displaying the new stock that is more aesthetically appealling and more accessible, like the other evening cashier does. Go out and actively assist the customers, like the other cashiers do.
If the custom is slow during that lull before people get off work, then make a point to do some of the things that are on the To Do list. That’s why I’m not bored — I not only do when I have been asked to do as an employee, but I also look for other things to do.
If I’m knee-deep in cleaning the spent blossoms from the hanging baskets and watering the stock, then don’t hide out behind the register. I shouldn’t have to mention, “Hey, that lady over there has her hands full — go get her a shopping cart.” [buggy, trolley]
It’s awkward when your coworker is slacking off, but you’re not a supervisor. I’ve tried stating, “X, Y and Z need doing,” but that cue was apparently too subtle. I’ve tried offering, “I’ll do W and X if you don’t mind doing Y and Z,” but that produced nothing more than a half-hearted attempt at Y and Z disappeared somewhere along the way.
There’s no reason to be bored at a job like this. There are too many different things to do, whether it’s tending the plant stock or chit-chatting with the customers while you ring up their purchases.
And you know what? Working in a half-assed way and complaining of being “bored” does not help ensure employability, especially in these economic times.
I’m not working two jobs just for the fun of it; I work because I need the income. But despite that, despite that some days I’m cold and wet and stiff and sore due to the exertion and the weather and my health issues, despite that, I still find ways of enjoying my work.
I can’t afford to be bored.
