From the desk of Kelsey Buell,
Can I try your food?
Probably the most annoying five words to some people…
The truth is, I always ask my husband if I can try a bite of whatever he is eating.
Somehow, despite how annoying this might be, he always says yes! (what a nice husband)
Recently, we went to the new restaurant Mahana Fresh in Fargo, ND. First of all, if you haven’t tried it yet, it’s de-li-cious!!!
Mahana Fresh is known for these big, colorful, hearty bowls mixed with whatever veggies, proteins, and carbs you like. We both ordered something different, sat down, and began to enjoy our meals.
About 2 minutes in, the inevitable question came pouring out of my mouth, “Patrick, can I try a bite?”
Used to this question…”Sure!” He said, and quickly slid the bowl of food across the table.
Now, I have to pause for a second and explain, whenever I ask for a bit of his food, I always offer him a bite of my food as well…it’s only fair, right?!
So we swapped bowls and began to eat.
After scarfing down a few bites I looked up at Patrick and noticed he was quite enjoying my bowl, and I, his.
“What do you think?” I asked him.
“If I’m being honest, I think I like yours better!” Patrick shared.
I had a good laugh and told him I actually kind of liked his meal better too.
We decided to continue eating, but instead of eating what we initially ordered, we ended up swapping meals for good.
So what’s the moral of the story?
Let’s relate this to the workplace…
Have you ever considered what tasks other people are doing that you might prefer doing?
OR tasks that you are doing that other team members might prefer doing?
Oftentimes, I work with businesses that have excellent teams, but don’t know exactly how to properly divide tasks so that everyone is living in their preferred passion zones.
Now, I recognize that “swapping tasks” might not be quite as easy as swapping meals, but this is where teamwork comes in.
Have you ever been in a meeting and noticed someone is assigned an additional task and seems overwhelmed?
If you have some extra bandwidth, consider offering to try your hand at that task in order to:
1) Give yourself exposure to additional tasks and…
2) Give the other person an opportunity to delegate the task to you.
What is the ultimate result? Cross training and identifying additional skillsets or passion areas.
Teams that are too strict on always having the same person doing the same task, are often limiting themselves to the possibilities.
Plus, if one person “holds the keys to the castle” for a certain task, what happens if something happens to them?
Building diversity within your team and the tasks everyone is doing is essential.
Next time there’s an opportunity in your workplace to take on a new task you’ve never tried before, I encourage you to give it a try!
Want to experience an exercise that allows you to discover your passions and preferred task on a deeper level?
Schedule a complimentary coaching call today: LINK