Before I quit my job, I decided to use the company as a kind of social experiment. That was when I ran what I called the apron test.
The cafeteria at my company provided disposable non-woven aprons. But fewer people wore them than I expected. Maybe they didn't notice them, maybe they couldn't be bothered, or maybe they felt it was a waste.
So I decided to wear one myself and see how people reacted. I didn't just wear it, though. The rules were these.
- Once I took out an apron, I would keep wearing it for at least two weeks. (In case people were holding back because it felt wasteful.)
- When lunchtime came, I would put the apron on right away and head to the cafeteria. That meant plenty of people could see me in it, at my desk, in the elevator, on the stairs, and in the cafeteria. (So there was no way they could be unaware the aprons existed.)
- If anyone asked me about my apron, I would answer positively: "It's comfortable and nice."
People's reactions fell into these groups:
- No interest at all
- Reacting with something like "Do you really need to go that far?"
- Trying on an apron once
- Following me and wearing an apron regularly
Only one person fell into group 4. Group 3 was also a small minority. The overwhelming majority fell into 1 or 2.
In my view, wearing an apron has a pretty good ROI. It takes almost no effort, yet it protects you against any mishap that might happen. It's basically +EV insurance. And still, people don't copy it.
Once I suggested to a coworker who had come in a white shirt that they try one that day. They didn't bother, and of all days, sauce splattered on them that day. They said, "Ah, I should've listened to you, Sian," and yet they still didn't wear one the next time.
But does this apply only to wearing aprons? I think this habit is an ability that carries over into work. After all, it takes observation, curiosity, an open mind, and the drive to act. It's the ability to try out a good tool a colleague is using, or to listen in on the conversation of the team next to you and adapt it to your own team's situation.
Perhaps people were simply too busy with work to have the room to observe or imitate, and that makes me feel a little sad.