Be Trained not Stained

No pictures in this one just a story with a motto to adopt.

Recently as I was working one of the football games for BYU I struck upon a slogan that I needed to adopt personally as I worked at BYU. As I have thought about it I have also come to realize how important it would be for others to adopt it as well. The original thought that I had was "Be trained by the best, Not tainted by the rest." Then it kind of morphed into "Be trained by the best, Not stained by the rest." and later into a simple "Be Trained not Stained".

Now any of those would be OK as they are but it seems to me that one could be a slogan "Be trained by the best, Not stained by the rest" and the last a motto "Be Trained not Stained.

The story behind this comes from work of course and events that have occurred over the course of the several years now that I have worked at BYU.
The very first game that I worked I was told to "slow down and let the students do the work". Other times I have been told to "let them do it not you".  I have been able to see the wisdom to some degree in those statements and have often done just that. The only problem I have had with those statements was a question I was specifically asked during my interview to be hired: "Can you work right along side of the students?" So I have had to try to do both to the degree that I can.

Well my supervisor trained me and I have always looked to him as the example of what I should do (he wasn't the one telling me those other things). So consequently "I was trained by the best."  I have watched how he comes to work and will go around and see what needs to be done and suggest that we get the students, if we have them, to do it. However when there were no students he would go ahead and do it himself, quietly and without argument. He always looks for the little things that need to be done and will often do them without even asking for a student to help. He is always willing to do things that others ask him to do even though at times he admits it might be stupid or that it might be some other departments responsibility. He doesn't stop to ask why or tell the person that it shouldn't be us doing it, he just goes ahead and we do it. There have been a couple of times when I know tat he has talked later with that person and explained which dept. should be doing it and the reasons why but not before letting them know he is willing to go ahead. Yes indeed I have been trained by the best. I was also raised by parents who taught me the value of work and the value of delegating work when needed. They always had chores for me to do and expected them to be done but were never ones to sit back while I did them alone if they could help. Dad always helped with milking the cows but also expected me to do it when he wasn't there. Then when he got there he would come and start helping.

So the events leading to this story goes as follows.

We have been lacking in student help quite badly this year so things have not been getting done as quickly as needed and some things have had to be left undone. However for each of the ball games I have gone to my area of responsibility without and students to help and gotten it ready before the game as much as possible. One game however we were somewhat behind and I had been out in the cold early morning air trying to get things done. I stopped back into the office and the other three supervisors were there and they asked what I had been doing. One of them said "some those things should probably wait". Well I left the office and heard one of the other ones say "with all of the set up that isn't done" and I replied as I stepped out the door, "Then get to work and do it" and continued to go back to what I had been doing.  Now that may seem kind of harsh but they had been there as long that day as I had and all they had accomplished was to sit in the office and eat chips and salsa. I was mad and that is when my mind was saying all sorts of things including that slogan. They still didn't go out and do anything until the sun had come up and it was a little warmer. Now in all fairness I should say that one of them get there at 3 am and does the timecards from the day before. However the other two get there at 4:30 and the last one the same time as me. The last two had done nothing prior to that.

Well a little history. In the past years there has been a habit from those supervisors to sit in the "MAN CAVE" and watch news or TV while "hiding from the main supervisor". At one game earlier this year when I arrived I went to the office and had two students waiting to go to work but the supervisor responsible for assigning them had still not come, so I told them to stay there and I would get the supervisor. Well sure enough I went to the man cave and the door was locked but I could hear the TV news from behind the door. I unlocked it and poked my head in and said "Students are waiting for you" and left. So that day had me on edge already since we only had two students and a lot to do. Well every time they have complained about the fact that we don't have enough students but they don't bother to get out and do anything until absolutely necessary. They will often go to breakfast as well during that time so that they are not available to work or help.  Two of them have a daily habit of going out to get drinks and food while I stay behind and supervise. One of them also has the habit of coming one and a half hours before he is supposed to and just said when I asked once why "What are all my supervisor?" I haven't said anything since then. I had been going a half hour early and one of the other supervisors jumped all over me for teaching the students habit that they should't have, (I still can't understand how arriving at work early is a bad habit.) But they also complain that one of the students always seems to get lost for a half hour to an hour every day, and it usually is into a bathroom. Others spend time sitting in other rooms when supervisors are not there. They will jump up and act like they are working if I happen to walk in on them while just sitting but have no problem doing it again. I have often asked myself though when the other three complain about those habits how they could possibly not realize they have taught them those very habits by going into their man cave or sitting on the computer looking up car parts or planning vacations, etc. They have complained about the students spending so much time on their phones yet they will come to work and one in particular will talk on his phone for an hour while walking around on the concourse or stepping outside.  Thus I added the part "Not stained by the rest".

Now I am not perfect and I am constantly having to remind to get to work on something as well and there are times that I have had to call and talk on the phone for a few minutes, but I try to keep that at a minimum. Maybe that is why I have found it so easy to try and get more steps and stairs on my Fitbit while I go check on students and take the stairs instead of the elevator or go walk the arena and concourse to see what needs done. But I do know that my efforts to work harder have been noticed when someone from the grounds crew stops and asks me "Are you the only one that works? all I ever see the others doing is riding in the golf carts" or "Thanks you for helping me do the leaves, I appreciate it."
I am sure that I have a long way to go and thus the slogan to "Be trained by the best and not stained by the rest" is very important for me to use daily.