THE NATURAL

In every job that must be done,
There is an element of fun.
                                         Mary Poppins
You remember that great maid we talked about in our previous post? click here She’s probably a NATURAL. A natural is every woman’s desire. We all want someone who can do the work with little or no supervision. Someone who knows what should be done without even asking her to. In no time, the natural maid becomes like family. She calls your kids her younger ones. Your mom/mother in-law makes sure to ask after her on the phone when they call, and never end the call without warning you to do all you can to keep her. Because, when mama comes to visit, it’s the natural that can keep her company when you all have gone out for the day. Even your husband has noticed how respectful and composed she is. He has never witnessed you shouting like you did with your other maids. She’s all together perfect! Unfortunately, the natural is a very scarce human resource. She’s either taken already by a family who wouldn’t let her go or been offered higher wages than you are willing to part with.
You know you have a natural when you notice some of these traits:

1. Knows what the job entails; you don’t have to spell out everything to her
2. Can accomplish a lot of things in a day; Multitasking is easy because she knows how to prioritize her tasks.
3. Accommodates impromptu additions to her work without complaining; e.g cleaning up the mess after you host guests
4. Understands correction; She’s quick to apologize.
5. Consciously looks out for the well-being, satisfaction and approval of her employer; you get questions like “Madam, is there any other thing you want me to do?”
6. Gets bored of daily routine; Looks for ways to spice up her work no matter how small e.g change the entire arrangement of the store to give it a different feel
7. Can get creative with her job; e.g can decide to experiment a new air freshener fragrance that she saw advertised on TV.
8. Cheerful around guests, the kids love her also.
9. A To-Do list doesn’t scare her, no matter how long it is.
10. Works as smartly in the evening as she does in the morning.
11. Willing to go the extra mile; e.g meets a need with her own money when you are not around.
12. Her hygiene is 100%

Unfortunately, you may not notice all of these traits during the hiring process. Some can be known when you ask questions. But she’s out there, whether you believe it or not. LOL. I pray you find her and if you already have her, I pray you are able to keep her. The amazing thing is that during our growing up years, these were the type of maids we had. Right? Or Live-in relatives who were sent from the village to come help our mamas out. So what happened? Sigh!
There are simple ways to reduce the risk of your natural looking elsewhere for a job.

1. Encourage: especially when she goes the extra mile
2. Reward: “Thank you” tips go a long way no matter how small
3. Show interest in her progress; what does she want to do asides being a housemaid
4. Ask questions: about her family, kids(if any),
5. Try not to overstretch her even when she doesn’t complain. e.g asking her to run errands for your friends.(some friends can send for Africa. LOL)
6. Speak well of her in her hearing, in the presence of others. Especially when they compliment her, agree with them.

She may not be available now, but the great news is that MAIDforME has a goal to create as many naturals as possible through training. So relax! All hope is not lost.
Look out for Ms. Circumstantial next.