How do you know it’s a strip club?
An awkward conversation with my 15-year-old
I was driving my daughter to ballet one afternoon and took a different route than usual. We drove by a plain, beige building with a single black awning over the front door with block letters that read The Kat. The lack of descriptors on the building piqued my teenage daughter’s interest.
She asked innocently, “What’s The Kat?” I cringed because I knew exactly what it was.
I chose my words carefully and replied, “It’s an adult place.”
She pressed on, “what kind of adult place?”
The cringe continued, “one that isn’t appropriate for kids.”
She wouldn’t let up, “but what is it?”
I finally caved and blurted out, “it’s a strip club.” I thought if I said the words fast enough this experience might also be over just as fast.
I felt her blush next to me in the passenger seat. I thought she regretted asking the question, but her discomfort didn’t last long.
“But how do you know?”
“It doesn’t have any windows.” I explained, hoping I wouldn’t have to explain why it had no windows.
“But theaters don’t have any windows.” she rationized. Maybe she hoped to prove me wrong.
“Right, but you can just tell. It’s plain, not fancy like a theater. And the sign doesn’t say what kind of show it is. If it were a theater playing Pinocchio, it would have a sign saying: Now showing Pinochio.”
She giggled like an awkward teenager and declared, “It’s not that kind of show!”
We both laughed and she continued the conversation about a hypothetical and innocent Pinocchio show.
But how do you know?
Buildings have descriptors that advertise the purpose of that building. It’s the address, the style, the sign, or the architecture. Courthouses have pillars. Retail stores have glass storefront windows showing their products. Theaters have marquees. Homes have addresses.
Picture a local coffee shop in your mind. Even if you don’t know a specific one, I’m sure you can conjure up the essence for a local cafe. It’s quiet and charming. You can smell the coffee brewing. You can imagine the small tables and quaint decor. The barista is young and trendy while trying not to be too trendy. When you walk by, you see the patio tables on cobblestone sidewalks. You read Cafe in brown script above the door. You know exactly what that building sells. When you check Google Maps on your phone, it shows the address and registered business location of Imaginary Cafe.
But if you walked by a building with no descriptive indicators, then tried to look it up on your phone and it returned nothing but a number, you might assume you’d found a strip club.
What does a strip club’s address have to do with your business?
In Buried in Business, Chapter 4, I outline the address of the Adminnovate Model House. The Adminnovate Model House, where each of your admins metaphorically dwell, there is an address. This address is made up of the position’s title and purpose.
Too often we assign titles to our administrative professionals that don’t clearly indicate their responsibilities. We call them administrative assistants or office admins. But what does that really mean?
Just like the Imaginary Cafe, your admins should also have clear external descriptors that indicate the primary purpose of their jobs. This includes their title and a purpose statement. Assigning a more specific title and flushing out a purpose statement is a gift to both the admin and other people in the organization. It helps them prioritize the myriads of tasks that flow across their desks. It helps others understand what should and should not be delegated to them. It gives people outside the organization a better sense of your admin’s decision-making authority and area of responsibility.
With clarity comes power.
Don’t let your admins dwell in a strip club. Give them clarity. Elevate their power.
Order Buried in Business to read more or reach out directly to book Jamie for your next conference. [email protected]
