Unsung heroes in the workplace

Our usual way of thinking in the workplace is that THE most important person in the organization is The Boss. Really? If you have a team that has the same focus, values, goals, determination, then each member is important. We have this at Growth Facilitators and I really do believe we gel well as a team. We support each other in our work and personal needs – if someone is out sick, we happily allow that team member to recover and assist with their work for that period.

But there is one person who can put a spoke in our operations, and I bring this to light because this position is often overlooked and not acknowledged. This person is Our Driver, our beloved Mr. Smith. The office grinds to a halt when he is not there, not only because of WHAT he does, but because of the dedication and love with which he does it. We get confused, collections and deliveries go awry, tasks do not get done, children do not get picked up on time – all in all, we get very un-productive. We scurry around to do what he does so well and we are flustered, yet he always remains calm!

The Unsung Hero of the workplace is the Driver/Bearer who literally keeps the wheels turning and balances and manages everything “outside on the road”. This is why we welcome all drivers and bearers to our office with smiles and pleasantries, an offer of a glass of water, coffee sometimes, if he has to wait, a smiley sticker to acknowledge them, a bit of candy from our jar at the front desk. We offer this welcome generally, but Drivers/Bearers are really special people. Hit the road between 12:00 and 3:00 pm (actually any time at all!) – you lose patience, you are bad-driven, you are hot and bothered, and you have to drive at 20 mph crawling along in traffic. Yet they show up at the office with bright smiles and pep in the step!

A year ago, I had a terrible run-in with a delivery person a week before Christmas. He was impatient as my documents were “not quite ready” and we argued and I thought he was rude and on and on and on. It was so bad that he thought I would report him and he would lose his job. Then I caught myself – I imagined what he must be encountering on the road late in December, with other clients who may delay him on his route. I put myself in his shoes and honestly forgave him (and myself) to myself and let it go. The next time he came by a couple months later, I acknowledged that we had not had a productive encounter, but all was well….and I put a smiley sticker over his heart and wished him a good day. We all laugh now when he comes….and he always gets a sticker over his heart!

So, I urge us not to take the Mr. Smiths of the road for granted. We need to respect what they do and acknowledge them in the way they perform. Let’s not keep them waiting because WE have more important things to do……after all, when there is no Driver/Bearer, who wants to go to the Tax Office or bank at the end of the month? Volunteers please!