Censors and Critics

At my former job, I was a manager in charge of opening our store every morning. The store I worked at was a sandwich restaurant, and we served ingredients that were freshly prepared every day. That stipulation required me to arrive to work every morning by 5:00 am, in order to begin baking bread, slicing vegetables, and prepare any other things needed to get the store in "Open" conditions. Sometimes it felt like a race to get to opening conditions. The store opened for business at 11:00am, and it was ideal to be completely prepared for the day by 10:30. It was also store policy that if we had bread that was baked and ready to eat, that we would serve any walk-in customers.  Our owner mandated that we be prepared by 9:30, so that we would have time to catch a break to collect ourselves before every morning rush. After several months of opening consistently, I began to get a little over confident with my work. I began coming in later than usual, and rely on my skills to make up for time. I slowly got further away from having the store ready at the required time, and I wasn’t giving myself that 30-minute break to prepare myself for the day. This affected how I worked later in the day, because I would start to crash long before 5:00 pm when I would clock out.

One day, my boss called me and we had a long discussion about how my decision to push the envelope is affecting my work. He could tell that I was wearing myself out, and playing fast and loose with my opening times. At first I thought that he was criticizing my work quality. After taking a day to think about it, I realized that he was trying to get me to make my job easier for me, by just showing up earlier and taking time to do each task correctly.

I went into work the next week with his criticisms in mind. I got to work earlier than usual, and took my time doing each task perfectly. After getting the store open, I was able to take a small break. Giving myself the 30-minute window to sit down and eat something did wonders for the rest of the day. I was more stable with my energy level, and I wasn’t crashing at the end of the day.

Underclassmen need to keep in mind the weight of their words when hey give criticism. Before saying what they’re thinking, they should think “what do I want to do with my words”, and “what do I expect my subject to do with what I am saying?” Of course criticism should be constructive, but especially in an educational environment we should strive to always look for an opportunity to teach.

Criticism should be respectful. Sometimes it is important to know the proper time to give your truthful thoughts. If a performer asks what you thought of their show immediately after the performance, you should try to leave them with a positive feeling. If you have concerns about their work, you should invite them to meet with you at a later time in a more private setting. We should be as supportive as possible in this department as we learn to cultivate our art as well as help others grow in their own.