Being “In The Weeds” is a Magical Place To Be.

Before you tell me that I’m crazy, hear me out. 

For those of you who immediately know what I’m referring to, give me a few minutes to explain what I'm talking about to those who have no idea. 

“Being in the weeds” is where every single person who works or has worked in hospitality has been. It’s not a walk-in; it’s not the employee cafeteria or the locker room. It’s more of a mental state where you can communicate with your fellow hospitality workers through telepathy. 

You know how sometimes it seems like every industry has its own language?

How doctors understand their own handwriting, or how chefs seem to know how to measure every ingredient without looking at the recipe?

Well, I believe that hospitality telepathy and eye contact are our thing. We communicate almost 24/7 with eye contact, and when we’re in the weeds, it’s like we have superpowers. Picture us as part of the Secret Service on a mission not to let the guests know there’s an issue or, for that matter, how we’re solving the issue.

You’re trying to talk to a guest and keep a smile on your face, but the guy in room 321 keeps calling about his TV; you can’t find Laura from housekeeping, and someone just came to tell you the bathroom in the lobby is not working.

Oh, and you also have to make that dinner reservation for James in room 77, who is celebrating his anniversary today. 

*It’s all good, it’s okay, it’s not the end of the world, we got this”, you say to yourself while trying not to lose focus.

At this exact moment, your coworker passes by. From the look on your face, he comes rushing towards you in less than five seconds.

*THANK GOD*  

See, I don’t think anything screams louder in the hospitality industry than the look you give your coworker when you’re in the weeds.

I’m still unsure how to explain this look's effectiveness because it doesn’t matter what the problem seems to be; our coworkers understand us. It's one of the things that bonds us, hospitality people.

When you’re working in a restaurant on a busy Saturday night, you know exactly how you’ll get through it: teamwork. See, being in the weeds happens to all of us. No one is safe from a trip over there because there’s always a lesson coming back.

It’s a magical place because there’s always growth coming from it. We realize that we can do more than we thought we could. We finally understand the power of helping each other and relying on our team.

It’s part of the process of growing and evolving in this industry. We need to be in the weeds from time to time. We need to realize that whatever issue we face, there’s always a solution.

At the end of the day, being in the weeds is like trying on a new pair of shoes. At first, they’re super uncomfortable, and you don’t really want to wear them. But the more you wear them, the more comfortable you get.

Now go buy yourself a new pair of comfortable shoes and own the day. You’ve got this!