Serge the Concierge

Scan 800 Barcodes Per Hour, Give 500 Thank You A Day, Ready for Checkout

What started as a way to pay your way through college might have turned into a dead end, that's the feeling one gets from reading Kiss and till: What the checkout girl saw (The Independent, July 13).

I learned from this bittersweet piece that the top three questions asked at the till (the cash register here in the US) are:

Where are the loos?

Don't you have any bags?

Are you open?"

As for the answers, here is a sample of possibilities offered in the piece:

Customer: "Are you open?"

Polite checkout girl: "I'm not but my till is."

Sarcastic checkout girl: "Beeeeeep!"

Or if the Customer is good-looking: "Try me and see."

Checkout girl with her best smile: "Are you?"

The Independent piece found its inspiration in Checkout - A Life on the Tills (Gallic Books) by French caissiere Anna Sam (to be published in the UK on July 31).

I will let you read the rest of Kiss and Till for more insight on the life of a Checkout Girl or Guy

Let's not be sexist for Monday Work Etiquette # 98

Previously: Is Vagabond Life the Answer to No Vacation Nation Conundrum?

Is Vagabond Life the Answer to No Vacation Nation Conundrum?

Ask anyone you know why they don't take what I call a real vacation (2 weeks or more) and the answer will probably I do not have the money or I do not have the time (my job does not allow me to) or both.

Call them Nomads or Vagabonds, a number of people in the US and around the globe are exploring ways to blend work and life with their wanderlust.

Type 'Vagabonding' in your search box and you will find Rolf Potts who defines it as "taking time off from your normal life — from six weeks, to four months, to two years — to discover and experience the world".

Since he already was a travel writer, he might not be the best example. Greg Rogers of Vagabonding Life who describes his 'program' as  'Escaping corporate America and traveling around the world on the cheap!' is a more to the point illustration.

Another benefit of Vagabonding highlighted by Nomadic Matt is that as time is not of the essence you have a better chance to travel green.

Pat of Digital Vagabonding calls it 'Life off the leash'.

Which leads me to another category Digital Nomads some of which might be blending life, work and travel while other digital nomads are just workaholics jumping from one project to the other, not really explorers.

I would definitely put In the life, work, travel blending Soul Travelers 3 (parents in their 50's, child 5) who with the arrival of Summer left their Andalusian base for a European Roadtrip.

Work, life and money on the go for Monday Work Etiquette # 97

Previously on Monday Work Etiquette:
In No Vacation Nation, She Wants 6 Weeks Summer Vacation, These Americans Settle for 3

In No Vacation Nation, She Wants 6 Weeks Summer Vacation, These Americans Settle for 3

A couple I run into on occasion has a taste for travel both in the US and abroad.

What makes them stand out from the crowd is that they take around 3 months vacations a year.
She wants 6 weeks summer vacation, they settled for 3.
Today they are on their way to Scandinavia, Finland and the Baltic Republics.
They organized their work around their play time.
She believes that she keeps him sane, healthy and more productive.
They return from their various trips, batteries recharged and full of new ideas and perspectives.

Refreshing by American standards

As to the reasons why more of us in the USA don't take at least a couple weeks off in the summer, Ezra Klein in Why We Don't Vacation Like the French (American Prospect, July 07) offered an answer:

"Rebecca Ray and John Schmitt of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in No Vacation Nation wrote that the United States,"is the only advanced economy in the world that does not guarantee its workers paid vacation." Take notice of that word "only." Every other advanced economy offers a government guarantee of paid vacation to its workforce. Britain assures its workforce of 20 days of guaranteed, compensated leave. Germany gives 24. And France gives, yes, 30.

We guarantee zero. Absolutely none. That's why one out of 10 full-time American employees, and more than six out of 10 part-time employees, get no vacation. And even among workers with paid vacation benefits, the average number of days enjoyed is a mere 12. In other words, even those of us who are lucky enough to get some vacation typically receive just over a third of what the French are guaranteed."

In sectors such as the hospitality industry, in some states employers who offer 'vacation time' to their staff have the option to pay them less than minimum wage for this 'earned benefit'.

Musician Jonathan Coulton in Summer Vacation (June 17) reminds us that the idea of Summer is to Slow Down:

"Part of my goal for this Summer is to take as much pressure off as I can and pry apart some space for doing just that. I’m not promising to write you a bunch of songs exactly, in fact I kind of have to keep my goals a little fuzzier than that in order to not frighten the muse away. I don’t know exactly where I’m going or what I’m working towards, and I forgive myself in advance for that because that’s sort of the point."

Should paid vacations be part of health benefits instead?

Like the outdoors, there is an inexpensive option in 2009, the US National Park Service offers 2 Fee-Free Weekends at more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees on the following dates:

• July 18-19, 2009
• August 15-16, 2009

Amongst those included is the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (pictured below, from National Parks site).

Working for the Yankee Dollar on Monday Work Etiquette # 96

Previously: Can Boredom Steal the Show at Enterprise 2.0 Conference in Boston?

Can Boredom Steal the Show at Enterprise 2.0 Conference in Boston?

The Enterprise 2.0 Conference opens on June 22 in Boston and Venkatesh Rao wonders Can Enterprise 2.0 afford to be boring (Conference Blog, June 18).

On the same day (same blog), a piece on Thoughtfarmer might prove the point with the following sentence:
"Thoughfarmer are the creators of social intranet software which adds a social layer to the basic address book and read only web pages of 1.0 style intranets."

Can we get the plain English version please.

I believe this farmer helps harvest collaboration.

There will be no psychedelic experience yet amongst the first day's highlights at Enterprise 2.0 you can count " Evening in the Cloud. From 4:30 – 8:00 pm in the Harbor Ballroom, hear how to leverage your existing IT investments from a panel of leading cloud computing vendors".

The questions raised here echo what Peter Whitehead asked in Does business understand technology any more? (Digital Business, FT, June 18).

He noted that "with every business now being a digital business – even a side-street hairdresser will have its customers comparing notes about it online – they have to engage. Yet many banks, for example, still refuse to let customers post comments online because they fear what will be said" and "the ones that get it ask: ‘How can I facilitate the dialogue with my customers’ – not to control it but to be responsive and be viewed as listening and as working with customers."

Does Nick Earle's take on Mesh Collaboration (video above) help clarifying things?

I guess there would be no need for conferences like Enterprise 2.0 if everyone already knew how to use all the nifty tools that crowd our work playgrounds plus it gives a number of people a chance do escape their boring daily and create new hashtags like #e2conf in this case.

Boredom and obscure language for Monday Work Etiquette #95

Previously: No Idea Where you're Going, How Can you Get Anywhere (Hugh Grant)?

No Idea Where you're Going, How Can you Get Anywhere (Hugh Grant)?

I can't say that seed companies are on the top of my list as far as my business interests are yet reading Chasing a bigger yield (FT, June 15) an interview given by Hugh Grant, not the actor, the head of Monsanto, to Hal Weitzman, something stuck with me.

“If you’ve no idea where you’re going, how can you get anywhere?” Mr. Grant offers and being a realist  recognizes “When you define a target, you’ve got at least a 50 per cent chance of hitting it”.

If you don't get started you will never get there, whatever that there-anywhere is.

Following different threads, call it 'meandering with a purpose' might by a way to go about it.

If you don't try, you will never know if it might have worked.

Not a contrarian view but a different approach is offered by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval in The Small Revolution (Change This, May 6, 2009).

Taking tiger mountain by strategy (Brian Eno borrowing) for Monday Work Etiquette # 94

Previously: Offering Something Based on a True Story, Unique Experiences

Offering Something Based on a True Story, Unique Experiences

As I was reading about travel to uncommon destinations or should I say uncrowded places offered by Based on a True Story (their logo is my illustration), I thought here is another way to define authenticity.

They are not going for the mass market, instead coming up with one of a kind ideas such as a 'romantic evening on the edge' at Victoria Falls on Zambezi River or bringing you up close and personal with Namibia's Skeleton Coast.

What they call Authentic Interactions with nature, people, cultures.

So what are you doing, what I am doing, today, tomorrow, this year  that is so unique and authentic that it gives people a reason to use our talents, buy our products, pay for our services?

Share your story

One of a kind for Monday Work Etiquette # 93

Related: Proudly Wear your Authenticity? Can You Fake It?

Proudly Wear your Authenticity? Can You Fake It?

Like cooking a good dish, any business or product has to have a main ingredient or two, the rest complements it.

Would you visit a store, try some new food or purchase a product because of its packaging, its marketing or because the store plays nice music or you were awed by the lightning?
You might pay a visit but if what's on offer does not live up to the decor, will you ever come back?

I keep thinking about one word a winemaker from Jura used to describe their offerings, Authentic as the Vin Jaune such as L'Etoile by Domaine de Montbourgeau (below).

So can you fake your cool factor or is there already enough phoniness around us we could drown in it.

Too many cooks, too many generals, too many ingredients and nothing stands out.

I like Peter Wasserman's business philosophy of 'we only sell what we like to drink'.

As Frank Zappa said 'You are what you is'.

Thinking out Loud for Monday Work Etiquette #92

Last Week: Flex Your Mind and Your Muscles, Get Inspired as I did at Storm King

Flex Your Mind and Your Muscles, Get Inspired as I did at Storm King

One of my best decisions in a while was to drive on Sunday to Storm King, a sculpture park in Mountainville, New York (Hudson Valley).

The last leg to get there on Route 32 took us through a detour in the countryside due to the local Memorial Day Parade.
Once we reached Storm King there was ample parking.
The attendants were relaxed and friendly.
Towards the end of our tour, I heard one of them describe his first impressions of Storm King as a golf course where aliens had landed.
The aliens would be giant sculptures of course.
All types of materials are put to use from plastic, to metal to grass as in the Maya Lin installation.
Tires find a second life.
You climb a hill and stand in awe of the view.

This is one of these rare places where you can flex your mind and your muscles.

Playtime for Monday Work Etiquette # 91

Your Shoes Stick to the Office Carpet, Is it Time to Move On?

Clients expressions of discontent?

A work environment that is falling apart?

Changes made but maybe not those that need to be done?

In our wobbly economy, what signs does one need to decide it is time to move on?

What's your take?

Changes, Changes, Changes on Monday Work Etiquette # 90

Previously: Learning to Swim with Crocodiles: Jacqueline Novogratz 'Blue Sweater' & Social Entrepreneurs

Learning to Swim with Crocodiles: Jacqueline Novogratz 'Blue Sweater' & Social Entrepreneurs

In 2002, I helped put together an event during Fast Company's Company of Friends Roadshow and found the non-profits way more passionate and enthusiastic than the for-profits we also invited.

Listening to Jacqueline Novogratz in Murder, Philanthropy, Blue Sweaters (FORA.tv) recall her path from Chase Manhattan banker to Microfinance evangelist and non-profit activist at the Acumen Fund brought this moment back to mind.

She did not get where she is now without a few bumps in the road. It sounds like learning to swim with crocodiles.

Jacqueline tells us the whole story in her book, The Blue Sweater (Rodale Books, March 2009)

 

I was invited to her Sold Out presentation Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World (Japan Society, May 12). Unfortunately I will not be able to make it.

Also in New York, if you missed the Japan Society event there is a Blue Sweater Book Reading with the author at the Bubble Lounge on May 13.

Want to catch up with non-profit initiatives around the globe, Social Entrepreneurship (on Change.org) written mostly by Nathaniel Whittemore opens a window onto various projects.

He led me to Appfrica which looks at how technology in small steps can improve people's life and prospects.

I also found out about One Mango Tree (from Uganda) whose kitchen aprons (like roosterhead model, pictured above) will bring rays of sunshine to your cooking.

Its founder Halle Butvin wrote about the 3:30 pm slump...

From bonuses to good deeds, Monday Work Etiquette # 89

Previously: Trimming the Fat...Cutting the Clutter...Making Choices...Saying No