Word-Of-the-Week #904: Supererogate
December 2, 2021 by Susan Clarke
Supererogate – to do more than is required, ordered, or expected.
Would your boss say that you go “above and beyond” what is expected? Would your co-workers say you are a good team player? Have you ever seen this word before? It’s new to me!
This week’s WOW comes from long time subscriber and friend Joe.
“Susan: A strong work ethic was never a question whether as a student or an employee.
I learned first and foremost not to procrastinate. I never put off to tomorrow what I could do today. Even as a grade school and high school student, I made it a point of getting to my studies right after dinner. As a collegian, I stayed on top of the many reading assignments well ahead of time so that I would not be cramming at finals time.
Since I worked at most four nights a week, in addition to attending college, I had no choice but to manage all of the time during my week. There was no time to waste.
In every job I worked, I made it a point to be on time, and if I knew that I was going to be delayed, I called ahead to let them know why and when I would arrive. That is basic. Invariably, there were times when someone did not show up and I would have to come in to work their shift or stay at work until the next guy arrived. As you know, Susan, in the restaurant industry especially, people do not show up for work. It happens.
Even in those cases, I did not complain. I just did whatever I could to help the company. Most of the time it was appreciated. When I washed dishes at a Big Boy as a high school senior, a co-worker did not show up to work on my night off. When the supervisor called to ask if I could come in, I said I would. After washing dishes for a half hour, he brought me back a steak dinner as a thank you. Now, he did not have to do that, but it showed his appreciation to me for coming in when I was needed.
We all do what we have to do to help the team. I have always been a team player in any job I have ever held. I have always gone above and beyond what was needed. There’s a word for that Susan, it is called SUPEREROGATION.”
And I have always said, “Service makes the food taste better.” And it applies to wine tastings too! In October we took our annual road trip to Paso Robles and decided to revisit Calcareous Vineyard. We had been wine club members several years back. Cody was our tasting server and we rated him 10++! It was one of the best experiences we have ever had. He was personable and passionate along with a great personality.
This week’s focus is to supererogate. When was the last time you experienced service that was so unexpected you were blown away? Have you ever done more than what was required or expected? How did that make you feel?
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