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Heard on the Hill: Motivation by Mutton Chops

When Daniel Oliver saw that his office was getting bombarded by constituent mail, he inspired his co-workers to stay the course and keep on reading by shaving his facial hair into mutton chops.

Because Oliver, executive assistant to Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), wasn’t on the team of folks answering constituent mail, he decided to contribute to the cause in the only way he knew how: by shaving his beard in an interesting way. Who knew mutton chops could make an entire office more productive?

His fellow staffers were so excited for Oliver’s new look that they demanded he keep the chops for a few days longer than originally planned. Sadly, the chops have since been chopped.

“It’s inspiring to see staff pulling out all the stops in an effort to motivate each other,” Honda Communication Director Michael Shank tells HOH. “[The staff goes] above and beyond the call of duty in serving our constituents.”

Honda’s office is kind of known for having fun at work. Last year, Shank dressed up as President Abraham Lincoln when speaking to a group of kindergarten students.

So when Oliver promised his colleagues that if they stayed on top of their correspondence he would cut his beard to be the king of all ’staches, it was just another day at the office.

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