Tuesday, December 8, 2020

It’s a Little Known Fact . . .

Whether you’re looking for a new job, or trying to stand out at a current one, by finding your niche, you can make yourself invaluable

By André van Heerden, Communications Director

If you’re a fan of Pixar movies, as millions of people around the world are, you might know the answer to this trivia question: who is the only actor who has voiced a character in every single one of Pixar’s films?

It’s John Ratzenberger. You might not recognize his name, but you’d likely recognize the character he played on the hit series Cheers, Cliff Clavin. Based on the box office results of the movies he’s been in, it’s arguable that he’s one of the most successful actors of all times!

What’s interesting is how he first landed his breakout role on Cheers.

A friend of John’s told me this story, and it’s stayed with me ever since. When the producers were casting for the series about the patrons of a Boston bar, they asked John to audition for the role of Norm Peterson—the bar fly who is always up for another beer while hiding from his wife and job.

When John did his audition, he didn’t think it went well and could tell that the producers weren’t going to cast him for the role. He thanked them for their time, and then just as he was about to leave the room, he asked them if the bar had a know-it-all.

They asked him what he meant. He explained that every bar has a know-it-all—someone who is always explaining “facts” and sharing useless knowledge with everyone else.

And then he gave examples: It’s a little known fact that the tan became popular in what is known as the Bronze Age. It’s a little known fact that everyone in the Swiss Army owns a Swiss Army knife. That’s why no one messes with Switzerland.

The producers loved the idea. They created a new recurring character for the show—and guess who got the part?

By not just walking out the door and by making a suggestion, John landed himself a role that would last 11 years on one of the most popular TV sitcoms of all times.

I like telling my kids this story as an example of not giving up and finding a way to make yourself invaluable. If you don’t immediately succeed one way, see if there’s another route that could work.

When I was playing high school soccer, one player on our team wasn’t the fastest, or the most skilled. He likely wouldn’t have seen much playing time except he had the longest throw-in I’ve ever seen.

Throw-ins are not a big part of a soccer game, but this player did weights and exercises to improve this skill. He worked with other players to come up with specific plays based on his unique ability.

He got so good at launching his throw-ins that we probably scored more goals off of his throws than any other part of our game! While other teams looked at throw-ins as merely a way to get the ball back into play, our team looked at it as an attack on goal.

He became a starting player solely because he honed that one skill. He had found his niche.

“You gotta keep trying to find your niche and trying to fit into whatever slot that’s left for you or to make one of your own,” said singer and songwriter Dolly Parton.

Similarly, musician and producer Brian Eno wrote, “I prefer to shoot the arrow, then paint the target around it. You make the niches in which you finally reside.”

Whether you’re looking for a new job, or trying to stand out at a current one, try to find what you’re uniquely good at and make it a benefit for everyone around you.

It’s a little known fact that the producers of Cheers didn’t realize they needed a know-it-all—until John told them.

It’s a Little Known Fact . . .

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