"Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces": 'Order Up!' vs. 'Come Get the Damn Food!'

The three ways Wardle reports newcomers belong are Engagement, Imagination, and Alignment.

Engagement is referring to, in simplest forms, just talking and discussing with other members of a workplace; being active instead of passive. This helps develop relationships between co-workers. An example would be just talking to superiors in a workplace and getting to know them. At the Union Diner (my project 4 topic), I started this by talking to everyone who was working with me that night. I tried to find everyone's name and tried to get to know them better throughout my first night there. I also made sure I knew what was expected of me in my job and tried to make sure I got things done in a timely fashion to their expectations. As the dish washer, I know my position isn't the most glamorous, but it has to be done. Doing the dishes in a timely fashion helps keep the Diner running smoothly, never running out of clean dishes to serve food on.

Imagination talks about a newcomer expanding on the job; finding new ways to pursue the goals of the workplace they are a part of (in good or bad terms depending). It also discusses what I think is making a name for yourself and find out how you belong and relate to the other workers in the workplace. An example would be making your job methods more efficient in order to make yourself useful in the workplace, I guess. At the Diner, the owner bought a new rack for dishes to be hung on to create more space. He made it my job to assemble it and reorganize the dishes. When I got there, all the dishes were scattered and just placed in a different area depending on who else did the job the nights before I worked. I organized it into a system that everyone understands and it has stayed that way since I reorganized.

Alignment refers to molding yourself into the position. You need to be able to focus your priorities onto a focus that is the same as the rest of the workplace. I guess an example of this is a new worker understanding how their job is done and makes sure it is done the way they are told to do it. Once they are skilled at doing it their way, they can branch out and explore new ways that get the job done, but might be more efficient. At the Diner, everyone is working to make a satisfying meal for the customers. We all need to make sure we are on the same page in order to provide that experience for those who come in. If one particular person isn't doing their job quite as well as the next person, then the entire place suffers. For example: a cook isn't cooking food appropriately, food gets out late. If a server isn't courteous with customers, they could walk out frustrated.