Pen Tops and Bottom Lines

When I was a PA at One Life to Live, in the days when I set four alarm clocks because I was sure I would be fired on the spot if I were ever late to 7:30am rehearsal, there was an actress who rearranged the tops of all of our pens each day.  Blue pens ended up with green tops, purple pens had red tops.  You get the idea.  She said it was so that any actor who borrowed a pen and didn't give it back at the end of rehearsal could look at it later and know it needed to be returned.  I think she did it mostly because it was great fun.  She was a tremendously gifted actress who did wonderful work at One Life (and went on to other things after), but when I think about her, the first thing I think about is how she always found ways to make the long days fun, both for her fellow actors and for the crew.

As we go through life, it is, of course, terrific to do the best job we can, to excel in a certain area, to be known for being at the top of our profession.  But when people remember us, I wonder, do they remember how proficient we were, how every "t" was crossed and every "i" dotted, every penny saved and every minute used to its fullest?  Or is what they remember how well we "played with others," how dedicated we were, how we were able to laugh and make others laugh while accomplishing the work?

Perhaps that is why, in the end, networking is how people really get jobs.  Nowhere on a resume full of facts and bottom lines does it work to say "rearranged pen tops during rehearsal" or "made crew laugh on a daily basis."  Nowhere amidst the quantification of results does it fit to say "excels at making team members feel good about their work."  Only someone who was there with you can know and adequately convey those things.

So while we continue to keep track of the numbers and results and bottom lines that we can list to make us stand out, I hope that we can also remember the things that have made our coworkers stand out for us.  The little things they did just because it was great fun.  Because a red pen with a purple top could make you laugh all day, and maybe, by the end of the day, even help your bottom line.