At a time when change is the only constant, we expect CEO’s to transform the way the company does business. Mid managers make process improvements and other innovations that help boost efficiencies. Front line members shoulder the responsibility to contribute ideas to better the way employees work with customers.
So the point is not to question if everyone makes a difference at work. Great leaders ensure they compliment the people around themselves and make them feel really really nice. A small comment conveying your appreciation, that you notice and care for them and are genuinely interested in what they do does wonders to the morale. It has an such an uplifting impact for the entire team. The work becomes music and the workplace environment very congenial and tension free. A recent story I read conveys the message most appropriately, am compelled to share …..
A teacher in New York decided to honour each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they had made. She called each student to the front of the class one at a time. First she told them how they had made a difference to her and to the class. Then she presented each with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters “Who I Am Makes A Difference”.
Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each student 3 more blue ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgement ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honoured whom and report to the class in about a week.
One of the boys went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honoured him for helping him with his career planning. He put a blue ribbon on his shirt. He then gave him the 2 extra ribbons and said “we’re doing a class project on recognition and would like you to find someone to honour and give them a blue ribbon.”
Later that day the junior executive went to see his boss who had a reputation of being a grouchy sort of a fellow. He said he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The junior asked him if he would accept the gift of the ribbon and sought his permission to put it on his shirt above his heart. The boss seemed very surprised. And then he offered the last ribbon to the boss “would you take it and pass it on by honouring someone else. The teenager who gave me these is doing a school project and we want to keep this ribbon ceremony going and see how it affects people.”
That night the boss came home and sat down with his 14 year old kid. “the most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of my employees came in and told me he admired me for being a creative genius. He put a blue ribbon on me that says Who I Am Makes A Difference. He gave me an extra ribbon to find someone else to honour. As I was driving back home tonight thinking who I would honour, I thought about you. I want to honour you. My days are hectic and when I come home I do not pay a lot of attention to you. I yell at you for not getting good enough grades and for your messy bedroom. Somehow tonight I want to sit here and let you know that you make a difference to me. Besides your mother you are the most important person in my life. You are a great kid and I love you.”
The boy started to sob – he couldn’t stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked at his father and said through his tears “Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and mom explaining why I took my life and asked you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide after you slept. I just didn’t think that you all cared. The letter is upstairs – I don’t think I need it after all.” His father walked upstairs and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish and pain.
The boss went back a changed man. He was no longer a grouch and made sure to let all his employees know that they made a difference. The junior executive helped many other young people with career planning, among them the boss’ son and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his life.
We are unique in our own way and contribute through a tremendously rich set of skills and capabilities. In trying to look for big differences, reinforce positively the small daily differences being made. These over time add up to create a huge impact – as they say, Rome was not built in a day! Above all, you will realise the benefit in the form of a very charged, committed team always willing to walk the extra mile. You can go across the organisation – up, down, laterally. I have been a beneficiary many times and have tried to inculcate doing this as a habit with some amazing results. Not at all easy as complimenting does not seem like a natural behaviour for most. Worth developing though!
Who you are and what you do does make a difference!
Happy independence day!!
rs
amazing lesson…the bit about the 14 year old kid seems so eerily close…just today I read the the following in DPS Noida….”So often we wallow in our children’s problems, rather than exult in their strengths and possibilities”
This is a powerful thought. If we go by the extended definition, the whole concept of inclusion is centred around identification of individual’s perspective and tapping into the unique strength of each member of your team/s. Organisations of tomorrow will need to be lot more creative to stay and excel in their businesses. The only way to fire up the imagination and passion in each of your employees is by acknowledging their work and letting them know that they make a huge difference to what we achieve and what we intend to achieve, be it any organisational goal.This fosters energy, ownership and bring in their personal commitment to work. And we all know collective spirit and passion can shake mountains!
However simple it may sound, it takes quite an effort to go up to a colleague & say “Hey, I am thrilled to work with you & the value added by you to my work/ organisation is tremendous. THANKS!”
Reason – my Ego.
Today’s organisations are getting demanding & complex – taking up challenges & fulfilling is quite possible but not w/o a set of efficient & ‘motivated’ set of employees.
Many management theories on motivations are doing the rounds for many years – simple ones if implemented can make a quicker & significant difference. My strong belief – we have to conciously & constantly appreciate the small/ big efforts of colleagues at work.
Constant source of motivation for us is to make & be made special for our efforts. As small as appreciation email up to public appreciations, go a long way to motivate & cheer up employees.
Helping build a positive work culture –> gathering employees faith & morale –> leading to positive energies & happy set of people.
Don’t we all want to be happy & cheerful at office? Simple one to answer – not too difficult to practice 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this blue ribbon story.
To learn more about the blue ribbons check out our website: http://www.DifferenceMakersInternational.org
Who You Are Makes A Difference!
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