Here are five things you could teach me during a down period, instead of asking me to detail the soda fountain a third time:

1. Train me in a new area

All I do is make sandwiches. Throw me on a cash register for a while. Cross-training is good for your business. It’s also a great cure for boredom.

2. Show me how to interpret customer feedback

Most large companies use phone-in or e-mail surveys. Show me these. Teach me what they mean. If you don’t have this kind of a system, walk the floor with me. Teach me how to talk to customers and anticipate problems. I’ll be engaged while we’re talking and I’ll be better informed in the future.

3. Teach me about the nuts and bolts of running this business

Teach me about costs. Teach me how to control them. The more I understand about “the business we’ve chosen,” the more effective I’ll be. (Note, however, that if I seem bored by this, don’t waste your time. Some people will get into it. Others won’t. You can have them detail the fountain.)

4. Ordering

Go a step past what you did when you taught me about costs and get me involved in ordering supplies, food, or whatever. Even if you never intend to have me complete a single order, learning the amount of intelligent guessing that goes into a good order is a humbling experience. I probably won’t complain quite so loudly next time we’re out of some supply or another. And, if I’m reliable, you’ve just taken a task off of your plate.

5. Let me go home

Doesn’t really keep me busy, but I’m more likely to be busy in the future if I’m not burned out by mind-numbing boredom.

A note

I know this list is a little restaurant-centric, but it can be applied to almost any industry. Just substitute restaurant tasks (detailing the fountain) for retail tasks (re-folding clothes) or office tasks (collating).