Go Ahead–Make Someone’s Day!

This morning, as I was pumping gas, I watched the gas station attendant out of the corner of my eye. She thoroughly wiped every surface of the pumps, posts, trash cans, everything. As I got into my car, I smiled and told her, “Have a great day!” She looked up, obviously surprised to be acknowledged, and responded, “Well, thank you very much! You have a nice day too!” I thought, Wow, it was so easy to make her feel special. I’ll bet you anything she passed on the smile to her next customer.

Whether you’re running an errand, working in an office, or running the entire company, you have the opportunity today to make someone else’s day. Jeff Haden, one of my favorite writers, gives 6 easy suggestions for ways to make someone else’s day, anywhere you are. But it goes without saying that raising company morale has multiple benefits for everyone concerned! If you incorporate these ideas at work, your employees, co-workers, and even your boss, will be encouraged, inspired, and more engaged in their work.

Here’s one of Haden’s suggestions:

Notice when someone tries something different…Insecurity feeds off silence, so mention it when you see someone trying something different. I’ll never forget the professor who caught me after class and said, “You never say a word, so it was good to have you participate in the discussion today. I’m really glad you did.” Had I said anything profound? Absolutely not. But he did notice I took a risk (for me) and expressed my opinion.

So what are you waiting for? Read Haden’s article here. Then, go ahead–make someone’s day, and see how motivated they can become!

Are you getting mixed messages at work? Learn how to deal with workplace contradictions.

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