Product versus Process?

I've long been an advocate of the idea behind the process being more important than the product. Today, though, I felt like the product of my past. I guess it's fair to advocate both ideas as long as I remember that today's product will not be as evolved as tomorrow's.

Today was day number two at my new job. The school building is blooming with more and more color appearing on the bulletin boards and classrooms. It's really coming to life. One of my first tasks was to help with the new textbook adoption. Monday, I was by myself as the principal and the secretary were out. This is where the fun began...

I realized as I was looking at packing slips and inventories that my time working at Keltch's warehouse (and Reader's World) came in awful handy. Because the principal and the secretary had done such an excellent job in sorting the items by grade level, I was able to pick up where they left off. I consciously reminded myself that things in our life are sometimes there for interesting reasons. Who would have thought that such a simple job as I had distributing gift ware and books would help ease an otherwise tedious job.

I know it was not an overly complicated task, but there were several items bundled in unique ways and if I hadn't physically handled each piece, I would never know how they all went together. I actually made another realization today...some would look at this repetitious and monotonous job with disdain, but the mere handling of the materials helps me to learn what I'll need to know in order to support the new adoption.