Kayla O’Brien: Jury Duty - Lessons for a Better Workplace
Disclaimer: The information, views, and opinions expressed in Steammate Publications are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Steamroller Animation and the affiliates of Steamroller Studios. The content is meant to share the thoughts and experiences of the many different people who work at Steamroller Animation and does not constitute professional advice or services.
Recently I was exhausted after a productive work day and a several-mile jog in the extreme humidity of summer in Central Florida. Afterwards, I treated myself to a few luxurious hours in front of the television screen. After recently finishing The Sopranos and taking an additional week to process the finale episode, I was in need of a new binge-worthy production. That’s when I came across a reality show called Jury Duty. The concept is straightforward but fairly revolutionary.
Ronald Gladden is just a regular guy who agreed to be featured in a documentary about his experience serving on a civil court jury in California. The surprise twist is that the trial is fake and everyone except Gladden is an actor. At the conclusion of the show, Gladden is told the truth and is given $100,000 for his participation.
Image from Jury Duty by Amazon Freevee
Many discussions sparked as a result of this “social experiment” including the ethics involved and how they pulled off such a large-scale clandestine production. But the topic that sprang to my mind was how similar Gladden’s story mirrored my own experience in jury duty.
I served on a week-long criminal trial in 2018 in Orange County, FL. My stomach sunk when I received my jury summons in the mailbox. This was my first time being called to the courthouse for any reason. For years, everyone I’ve heard discuss this civil duty, spoke about it with the same enthusiasm as scheduling a colonoscopy. But surprisingly my experience was extremely positive.
Through the process of finding a verdict I learned many of the same lessons as Gladden. We both have a better understanding of the American judicial system and we also gained new skills including cooperation, empathy, patience, and creativity. In my opinion, these skills perfectly match those needed for success in the workplace.
As a marketing strategist here at Steamroller Animation, I work on a team of talented people from across the globe. Our small but mighty team transcends age, nationality, and prior career experience but we still come together to tell the brand story of our beloved company. Similarly, a jury is often composed of individuals with diverse skill sets, backgrounds, and perspectives. By embracing a variety of viewpoints we can foster innovation, creativity, and effective problem-solving. Much like a jury, a workplace should encourage open dialogue and respectful exchange of ideas to reach the best possible outcomes.
Our case had many pieces of evidence that needed to be examined and discussed. We often had to break through barriers of language and understanding to discuss and debate the case being presented. Because we had to come to a consensus before being relieved of our duty it was imperative to work as a team to accomplish our goal. We took turns reading transcripts, helped each other navigate the takeout menus at local restaurants, and generally looked out for each other. Because we had to decide as a unit, it gave us a greater sense of teamwork and daily camaraderie. Knowing the people sitting next to you are imperative to the completion of your personal goals, allows for more cooperation to occur naturally.
Jury duty offers invaluable lessons that can be applied to the workplace, ultimately leading to a more inclusive, empathetic, and productive environment.
By embracing collaboration, diversity of perspectives, active listening, evidence-based decision-making, constructive conflict resolution, and effective leadership, organizations can leverage the transformative power of these lessons to build stronger teams, enhance employee engagement, and drive sustainable success.
If you get that ominous jury summons letter in your mailbox, think of it as a golden ticket that may ultimately find you guilty of enjoying this civil duty.
