Yes, we’re finishing up ZAMM – Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in my book club. This passage from the back end of the book (p.367) shook me violently. Have you ever had that happen? An idea reaches out and grabs you in such a way that you can’t stop thinking about it?
Here’s the passage for easier reading:
“If he takes whatever dull job he’s stuck with—and they are all, sooner or later, dull—and, just to keep himself amused, starts to look for options of Quality, and secretly pursues these options, just for their own sake, thus making an art out of what he is doing, he’s likely to discover that he becomes a much more interesting person and much less of an object to the people around him because his Quality decisions change him too. And not only the job and him, but others too because the Quality tends to fan out like waves. The Quality job he didn’t think anyone was going to see is seen, and the person who sees it feels a little better because of it, and is likely to pass that feeling on to others, and in that way the Quality tends to keep on going.”
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Ok, wow. Let’s pick that apart.
First, there’s the idea that all jobs eventually become dull. No matter what you do, if you do it every day, your job will start to feel sanitary.
Second, every job has an opportunity for Quality. There’s a “Prime” way of getting the thing done right.
Third, if you get curious about that Quality (prime) way of doing your job, then your work gets interesting.
Finally, as you create Quality work, it makes you, and the people who experience your work, happier.
Quick question for you: How often do we rummage around in our lives, looking for greener grass?
Once we finally get the courage to pick up and move to the other side of the hill, we discover that the new scenery hasn’t made much of a difference.
You really do take yourself with you wherever you go, don’t you?! If you can learn to get curious about your work as a ditch digger, restaurant manager, computer programmer, pilot, etc. you’ll discover that it’s not about what you do, but how you do it.
Here’s to Quality.
Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.
-Eddy
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