service

    “Work is love made visible.” - Kahlil Gibran

    It is difficult for Service to stand out. Many people do the same work as she, and there are few opportunities to be noticed for excellence. Only when things go wrong are fingers pointed at her. This happens every once in a while, because she has many responsibilities and answers to more than one master. Despite this, she keeps doing more than what Efficiency decrees or Duty expects. This puzzles her bosses completely.

    Her habit of doing what is most needed, instead of what is asked of her, attracts many critics and suspicions. But her followers appreciate the free hand they enjoy when working for her, and her firm but clear advice when guidance is needed. Service is an excellent teacher, who never asks more than anyone is able to give, and often shows people how much more they are capable of than they have ever imagined. Her own mentor, Purpose, once told her to always remember that she is the most important person in her field -- the one who is there at the time.

    When asked to describe her job, Service says she is an artist. This frequently raises eyebrows and much laughter. “What creative genius can there be in your work?” is the inevitable question. To which she would reply with patience and good humour : “That is my art -- to find it, every day.”



30 October 2007   22:57 hours
courage { } on thwarted expectations: an interview