You Want Me To Do What?

Once, during my time working at a previous job, my boss approached me with a rather unusual request. It was a busy day, and I was engrossed in taking care of many critical issues that day. My boss, Mr. Thompson, known for his quirks, walked up to me, and said, "Hey there, could you do me a favor? I need you to take care of something personal for me."

Perplexed, I looked up from my computer screen and raised an eyebrow. "Sure, Mr. Thompson. What do you need?" He handed me his auto registration (tags), which had expired two months prior, "I've gotten a ticket for expired tags, and it is past the point to get it in the grocery store. Can you go to the DMV and stand in line for me to get this renewed today?"

I blinked in surprise, not expecting to be asked to handle such tasks. I was also taken back at the idea that somehow my time was less valuable than his. Nonetheless, I nodded and took the registration from him. "Of course, I'll make sure everything is taken care of."

For the next two hours, I set aside my pressing work and went to the local DMV within the county where he lived. It was a refreshing change of scenery to get away from my desk for a while, but I was so overwhelmed with everything I needed to get done that it created additional stress and pressure on me.

By the end of the day, Mr. Thompson thanked me for helping him out and ensuring that he was “legal” once again with his car. He even mentioned that he would be happy to take me to lunch for handling that for him.

Although it was unexpected, the experience taught me the value of adaptability in the workplace and the importance of being willing to help with tasks that might not be directly related to my core responsibilities. It also added a bit of uneasiness that I was asked to take care of his personal things on company time when my plate was already so full of my job-related tasks. At the end of the day there must be a happy medium in our day-to-day working roles and taking on personal things when our plates are already so full, but how do you tell your boss "no".