Page 221 - Everything I Know About Business I Learned

Recognition

serve them up on a tray, where I’d next dress them, adding
cheese when the bin person called for it.
Overwhelmed, I got through my initial fumbling, dropping
the spatula noisily on the floor, all eyes watching me, the rookie,
messing up. I got a few burns from that 375-degree heat. Still,
by the end of my shift, I caught on to the routine. Even the grill-
man, the key player in the kitchen orchestrations—the quarter-
back, admired by the entire crew—took a moment to say, “Paul,
you did alright for your first day.” I felt like I belonged.
Over time, I realized that early praise was just one part of the
system, yet prevalent enough so that even peers commended you
for being a valued player.
Suddenly, I was part of a team. And I loved it. Things went
well over the next few weeks, but little did I know they were
about to get better.

191
Ralph’s 5 Cents
After only three weeks on the job, Ralph, the store manager,
came over to me on a Saturday, just after the rush, and said he
wanted to speak with me on the side. In those tight quarters,
not only did you hear almost everything that was said, you also
observed what was going on. Any action involving the manager
was always under surveillance. So during my journey to the side
of the store by the back wall, probably about 10 feet at the most,
I had numerous sets of eyes on me.
“I’m very impressed with your ‘hustle,’” Ralph told me. “So,
I’m giving you a nickel raise to $1.30.”
Wow. As a teenager working my first real job, a raise was actu-
ally foreign to me. But the way Ralph delivered it, I felt so appre-
ciated, I would have done anything for Ralph, the McDonald’s
store, or the organization. With my peers watching, I thanked
Ralph and walked back to my spot with newfound pride, my