What the British Taught Me About Work

They are different from Americans, at least the Americans I know.

When I told Kathy this, she asked, "How are they different?"

"People here care about their jobs. They take on the responsibilities, the work, and do it to best of their abilities. It is almost like the work is their purpose. It doesn't matter whether they are a waiter, a receptionist, or the owner of a business. They all seem to like and appreciate what they do," I rambled on.

Then I met Pat, and it became clear to me. Pat was more like me.

Kathy and I went to breakfast in our hotel. This hotel was our third stop on our tour of the United Kingdom. There was no one at the hostess stand. We arrived at the same time everyone else showed up. At first glance around the dining room, it looked to me like there wasn't enough staff for the seated guests.

From nowhere this lady Pat showed up. She hurriedly asked, "Table for two?"

I immediately felt her anxiousness. She was rushed. She didn't have time for us. It was like she was doing someone else's job, and she was a bit annoyed about it. This was the first time on our trip I experienced this feeling, and we were already in the UK for sixteen days.

She told us to follow her. She quickly found an empty table and said, "Here is your table."?

I thought it was too close to other people and a little too small. I said, "How about that one?" I could see her exasperation. It was like she was saying to herself, "I got a lot to do. Won't these two just sit down and shut up?"

Although she said this to herself, I heard what was in her head, and I felt her frustration with me. I said to her before she could answer, "This table is fine. I see you have a lot going on right now. Just do what you have to do."

She thanked me and asked if we wanted coffee or toast.

I then watched the wait staff. Pat was a waiter and clearly in charge of the dining room. I realized the staff reporting to her on this shift lacked her experience. They seemed to lack confidence as they did their jobs. They wanted to serve but didn't have the training to do the job properly.

In spite of this lack of training, they weren't hurried or anxious. It appeared to me they wanted to do a good job. They seemed to enjoy their work. The management didn't have time to allow them to apprentice under a professional waiter.

The net of it was, Pat made me anxious because she was anxious. The other waiters helped create a sense of calm in the dining room. Pat was more like an American, while the other staff was British. I asked myself, "What is it about these people that creates a calm in me?"

This singular experience helped me realize the difference in culture between the UK and the US.

People in the UK are different. And this difference made for a very relaxing vacation for Kathy and me. Here are my thoughts

They cared about people.

This was the biggest, most pronounced difference. The people I met were focused on others first. Relationships and interactions with us were valued. It didn't matter if it was a person I stopped on the street to ask for directions or the person I was sitting next to on the Tube.

Everyone saw me. They looked at me. I mattered to them. They were nice to me. They wanted me to feel at home with them. To feel welcomed. They wanted me to like them. And they got there by liking me first. I didn't have to earn respect from them. I wasn't a threat. I was a potential friend. They respected me right from the moment they saw me.

They appreciated their job and wanted to do it well

I went into a coffee shop in the morning looking for a jacket I thought I left there the evening before. I caught the attention of a waitress who had just finished serving an outdoor table. She was clearly busy as this was one of their busy times of day.

I said, "Excuse me. Can you help me?"

She stopped, looked me in the eye, and said, "How can I help you?"

I explained I was in their coffee shop yesterday and I might have left my jacket there. She said, "I'll check for you right now." She went behind the counter and asked each of her co-workers, they shook their heads "no." She then went to the manager who sent her to the lost and found. Then she came to me and said, "I'm sorry, but I didn't see it."

This is just one story of many I can tell. Almost everyone I met in the UK seemed to do their jobs to the best of their ability.

But here is another story.

We had to get a Covid test to be allowed on the flight back to the US. The receptionist at the testing company greeted us, unhurriedly and with kindness. She could feel our anxiousness and didn't contribute to it. She was calm, confident, and capable as she explained the testing procedure and when we would receive the results.

While we were waiting, she came from behind her desk to get to know us a bit better. She then explained all the other tests they perform at this facility. I was so impressed that she appreciated her job so much that she wanted to promote her company to total strangers. People who didn't even live there. All the while calm and looking at us right in the eye. She recognized us.

Their job was only a part of their life. Family mattered.

People in the UK understand that work is a part of life. They do what they do, and they do it to make a living. They have a life outside work. But as you can see from my earlier comments, their work is still important to them. It's like whatever they do, they want to do it well.

The family part comes because when asked, they are quick to talk about their roots. The town they are from in the UK. The sports teams they follow. Their "local" which is the pub they frequent in their neighborhood. In all these conversations, it seemed to me like they appreciated they are part of the larger community and they play an important role in it.

Their lot in life was enough. They were satisfied, happy even.

I once asked a young lady at a grocery store here in Atlanta if she was enjoying her job. She looked at me with disgust and said, "This sucks." This girl was maybe twenty years old, and she hated the work she was doing. She made it clear in her body language, attitude, and words that she deserved more.

I never felt this from any worker in the UK. I even stopped a street cleaner for directions while he was emptying trash cans. He stopped what he was doing and looked right at me. He recognized me. And then he politely answered my question. I felt like he cared.

He showed me that he appreciated his job. I continued to watch him. He did it well and efficiently. I concluded he appreciated the work he was doing and, in fact, found purpose in it. He was keeping his community clean. And that was enough. His work was important.

When I returned to the US, I quickly felt the anxiousness return. I observed the people in the Delta Sky Club. People focused on their laptops, talking loudly on cell phones. People rushed, anxious, almost acting like we were in competition for the free food and table space. People who didn't really care about people. People who were only thinking of themselves. I reflected that this is how I behaved for years in the Sky Club.

My lesson from this trip is to practice more of the UK culture. To enjoy what I do. To do it well. To realize family and community is more important than work. To see people and let them know I see them and appreciate them.

The day before we were to check out of the hotel, we ordered room service. Guess who brought our food to the room? That's right. Pat. She delivered it with care and then said, "I am off tomorrow, but I will tell the other staff to take good care of you."