Nobody hands you the keys until you’ve handled the mop. Small jobs are auditions.

People decide how much to trust you by watching what you do with the least interesting task available. The mop job is not a punishment, it is information, and everyone is reading it. Do it properly and the answer about the bigger job changes without you having to argue for yourself.

This week, take the boring task nobody wants and do it without commentary. Stack the chairs, close the till, wipe the bench. The person who decides the next thing is usually closer than you think.