The Watch

Last week we made the distinction: EVERYONE LOVES TO BE APPRECIATED!

So at what point do we graduate from the the appreciated to the appreciator?

As an example: when we get married we give away half of ourselves, when we have children we give away the other half and ultimately live to provide for others.

When we achieve financial success we begin to set aside funding for a cause. When we develop business acumen we get to a point when we can share our success story.

Are you ready to give back? Are you ready to pat someone on the back for their sake (not yours)? Are you confident enough in yourself to trust and empower others without short term expectation?

Jane's life was filled with short comings. She always tried hard but was never a top performer. At the company awards banquet she sat quietly, alone, and watched others receive rewards then thank their loved ones. Jane just didn't have the intestinal fortitude to get to great.

Does this make Jane a poor employee?

Jane spent 10 straight years at 90% of her quota. Consistently good, reliable, easy to manage; a perfect example of how to exist professionally.

Her boss, Jennifer, remembered the one time Jane opened up to her....she told a story of her life being pleasantly drama-free: She enjoyed living alone, she enjoyed working hard for the right reasons, she loved her life and her job. It was incredibly pleasing to her to find the goal and get there. Jane said she did not want to be recognized because it embarrassed her. She was happy to get her lunch in her cubicle, read on the bus and find customer's that were easy to get along with. The only memento of achievement that ever mattered to Jane was a Minnie Mouse watch that her (now deceased) father had bought for her.

So on her 10th Anniversary with her company, Jane went about work as usual. As she headed to the bus at the end of the day Jennifer called her into her office. She gave her an evaluation on another year of productive work and handed her an envelope.

On the bus ride home, Jane opened the envelope to see a note that simply stated: I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!...with a Minnie Mouse watch in the envelope.

Amid a group of strangers on the bus...Jane broke down into tears. For the first time in her professional life she felt genuinely appreciated!

Sometimes it is not so much what we have said to our employees but how well we have listened.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

references:
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich