Lessons from a Crossing Guard: The Power of Energy and Engagement

On any given morning, most of us would avoid a school zone. It slows us down and is often a source of frustration. In the past six months, I have found myself intentionally adding a particular school zone to my route. No, I don’t transport a child to school. Yes, I find inspiration from obscure sources. Hear me out.

There are three crossing guards for this school zone, but one goes above and beyond her role. She takes it as her responsibility to not only keep the kids safe, but to emphatically greet every single driver. She does this with a unique greet for each person that drives by. I’m not sure if the following consequences were all a part of her plan, but I am certain she is impacting the area in the following ways:

• Moods are boosted
• Traffic happily slows down
• Smiles are visible from car to car
• Others anticipate and reciprocate the behavior
• Role modeling happens for the kids and the adults

I’ve been thinking of this for months now. What if she oversaw onboarding, orientation, a training program, or leadership development? Perhaps not even in charge of the full thing, just to make sure that participants make it from point A to point B. What would she do that hospitality trainers might be missing?

I believe trainers are generally a happy and emphatic bunch. We are great at creating a vibrant environment for our learners. But, are we also conscious of the environment we are creating for those passing by? If we are, then we are boosting the moods of those around us while also attracting others to our class. In doing so, individuals would eagerly anticipate being a part of any class taught by that trainer.

Many of us have been hyper focused on retention and turnover. Plenty of studies have encouraged us to embrace shorter initial training programs and supplement with ongoing development. I wonder how emulating this crossing guard’s behavior would excite new hires and encourage their patience prior to anticipating that development. Would the approach of an emphatic and specialized interaction with each person manifest patience? Would new hires be happy to (temporarily) slow down development to enjoy the moment?

We know yawns and smiles are contagious. We often give little importance to the energy we add or subtract. What if we started to qualify the energy that would be created? I’m certain morale would boost when we empower key individuals like the crossing guard with owning the vibe of that day. She intrinsically knows that her role is more than guiding kids from one sidewalk to another. Two other crossing guards work that same school zone, the energy shift is palpable from one to the other. It is our responsibility as hospitality trainers to express this minimum qualification and communicate its importance with the leaders in our organizations. Creating that “high five” atmosphere and ensuring smiles abound could pay dividends on the shift, day, week…and ultimately, revenues and profits.

There is no question that this desired behavior would be role modeled. On my last trip through this school zone, Miss Super Special Crossing Guard was accompanied by a member of the Sheriff’s department. She was just as emphatic in her greetings and energetic in her smiles and waves, completely undeterred by his presence. My question for you is: what are we doing to ensure that individuals like this special crossing guard feel empowered to be themselves, in all their authentic, goofy, and quirky glory?