The Kitchen Dance - Who's on Your Dance Card?

There are those we HATE to work with and those we LOVE to work with.

Are you able to "kitchen dance" with someone, or are you the one stumbling around in everyone's way?

"Kitchen Dance" you say? What the heck is that?

You know how there are people you'll let into your kitchen to "help", and those you really want to stay on the other side of the counter, or better yet, in the other room?

And some you won't invite over at all if there is going to be real work to be done by multiple hands?

My mom is almost deaf, and we kitchen dance just fine, with minimal conversation. That doesn't mean we're good cooks, it just means we are aware of what the other one is working on, anticipate what else needs to be done, and pick up the slack where needed. Before we start, we make sure we're on the same page for what we need to get done and on what timeline, and then we just DO IT. We can cook, paint, clean out the garage, organize a bake sale. All with minimal conflict, and maximum efficiency.

Contrast that to working with someone who stands around and watches you work, or jockey's for your attention (when the pasta is boiling over), is always in the way, or bristles at being asked to wash a dish, take out the trash, cut up the onions.

It's the same in the work place: there are people who working with just flows smoothly. And then there are those that manage to get offended by everything, that don't do their share, that always have excuses (or someone to blame).

So, we should ask ourselves - are we people who smooth out the dance, or gunk it up? Are we continually looking for what needs to be done and then DO IT so that the process (ANY process) goes more smoothly? Do we wait to be asked to do something, or do we look for what needs to be done?

For years, I accomodated the jerks, the ones who can't dance. Or more appropriately, who won't.

Now, not so much. Actually, as little as possible. Now, I just steer clear.

How about you - how well do YOU dance?