I stopped in an Asian market today for some quick lunch, greasy. As I sat down to eat my yaki I heard the girl behind the counter ring off what sounded like “Aloteriyachickenkatsu-saaample!” The noise of the lunch rush was just loud enough for me to ignore it, yes there were stranger things being said. As I ate my rice I watched several people, hearing her odd incantation, stop as they walked by and take a free sample of either the chicken katsu or the chicken teriyaki. Of the people that stopped, maybe one in three ordered food. As they ordered she would casually look beyond them and exclaim, “Aloteriyachickenkatsu-saaample!” to passers-by while taking care not to interrupt the orders of her customers. This became second nature in an obviously well rehearsed routine. She had found a way to accommodate existing customers while simultaneously soliciting new ones. It made me think of the importance of a clear objective. I find it likely that her manager impressed upon her the clear cut objective to obtain as many customers as possible. Armed with this mindset she was able to satisfy routine tasks, such as taking orders, while simultaneously applying creative expression to work toward her primary objective.
Simple illustration right? What happens when the objectives aren’t clear, or worse, undefined? Aloteriyachickenkatsu anyone?