My Goal is to Be a Rotisserie Chicken
When I was growing up, I was big into staying up late when I wasn’t supposed to be. My parents made the huge mistake of letting me have my own television in my room. I’d watch it long into the wee hours of the night, keeping the volume down as low as it could go. But with cable television, there really weren’t many options for late-night entertainment. I spent many a night watching country music videos and guessing the song titles from the lyrics.
But my first love? Infomercials. Specifically, the Ronco Showtime rotisserie oven. Some of you may even remember its famous slogan – “Set it and forget it!” It was all about putting your meal in the oven, pushing the button, and never thinking about it until dinner time. I gave it some thought one day and realized that’s the kind of attitude I strive to have at work. I want to be able to take our firm’s vision (dinner) and run with it as best as I can without needing constant guidance, instruction, or redirection.
In the military, it’s called being a “fire and forget” weapon. The actual term refers to a type of missile guidance that doesn’t need any sort of human intervention once the button has been pressed. But when referring to a person (in this case, a Marine) it means that someone receives their mission and follows through to the end without additional supervision. And it’s not about being perfect and knowing how to do everything. It’s about having the type of initiative and self-sufficiency to figure out the answer when you don’t have it. It drove my junior Marines crazy. Whenever they asked me a question about a regulation, I’d never just hand over the answer. I only told them where they could find the answer themselves. And yes, eventually they’d always come back to me having done the work to find what they needed.
I like to think I’m a pretty decent rotisserie chicken. Sure, sometimes I’ll need a little basting along the way. Especially if I’m given something new and incredibly difficult. If I understand the end goal, 99% of the time I can get there on my own accord or find out the information I need TO get there. I like to feel that when my attorneys and coworkers go on vacation, they aren’t constantly worried about what’s going on at the office – are the checks getting processed correctly? Are the clients being cared for? Am I showing up to work on time when there’s no one there to watch me work? Have I finally absconded to Canada with a purse full of company pens?
For me, it’s important to know that I’m trusted and relied on to keep the wheels turning without being micromanaged. Because I believe in what we do, I try my best to do it well. I know not everyone has the same attitude about work as I do. That’s to be expected. But if you’re new to the workforce and looking to make a good first impression, or even an old hat set in their ways, try being a rotisserie chicken for a day and see how you like it.
For some more light reading on self-sufficiency and initiative in the workplace, try the classic essay A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard.