When people use the expression, “Your attitude is all that matters,” they often do not realize how meaningless the words can be if not put into action. Ultimately, it is about creating a positive experience and making your job into an art form as opposed to just going through the motions. The best part of course is that the person choosing to do their job with a great attitude is also enjoying himself or herself.
Whenever I see someone’s attitude making a difference, I am truly inspired. Enter Helen, a shuttle bus driver at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Situated on 2,000 acres, the sprawling resort provides shuttles 24/7 to help guests maneuver the property.
One of the first things I noticed that was unique to Helen’s shuttle is that she had posted a plaque visible on her dashboard, proudly displaying her name. It was as if she owned her bus and wanted everyone to know she was the one responsible for the experience.
And what an experience it turned out to be. Rather than thinking of her job as a function, i.e. shuttling guests from place to place around the resort, Helen chose to turn it into a party bus, a magical ride filled with music and laughter. At night, when the bus was dark inside and out, Helen passed out neon tambourines, cranked up the music and the guests sang along with glee. During the day, the musical instruments were used sans lights. It was a riot, and made the short rides memorable and enjoyable.
In my classes, I stress that we are all at choice, and that every day we can choose to pay ourselves a psychic salary. By choosing to approach her job with a playful, purposeful attitude Helen was earning a giant psychic salary. Oh, and by the way, the guests were tipping her real money too. Funny, I didn’t notice that on the other buses.