The tale of the tragic barista

You walk into a café.

“I would like a flat white please.” - You

“I’m busy. Just wait” - Tragic Barista

“No worries.” - You

“What is it with people wanting coffee? I’m human too! I’m not a coffee machine!” - Tragic Barista

😳😬🤐 - You

Do you like companies that treat you like a time-sucking headache?

While I might have sympathy for this tragic barista, I am not going to be positive about doing business with him… I don’t like giving money to people who make me feel bad about paying them.

This all makes sense when we think of ourselves as the customer... but what about in your own workplace?

​You are a mini-business and your boss is the customer.

You are the business, you are in control, deliver service that makes your boss want to pay you! Don't be a passive aggressive tragic.

What if your boss is behaving like a toxic customer?

Lead with positive boundaries. You answer their requests with a ‘can-do’ attitude, but with a caveat: “I can get it done by… [insert a date and time you are comfortable with].

This is the “Yes” and “When” of setting positive expectations for your customer (boss).

For example our tragic barista could have said:

“Sure thing” [the YES]

“I’ll get to making that in a couple of minutes, everyone is craving their coffee this morning”. [ the When]

However some bosses are simply bad customers. If they constantly want to break these positive boundaries then it's time to look for a new customer.

Tragic Barista is having no fun and going no where. Take the lead with your boss, set positive expectations. You’ll feel more in control and better about your work.