Values Lived: Doing What’s Right
Inspiration when you least expect it! It was a relatively chilly morning. As many were looking forward to the long Thanksgiving weekend, I was on the outskirts of Atlanta in the spacious and bustling warehouse of a client’s shipping warehouse. It was rainy and dark in these early morning hours as we started our meeting with a sizable group of the company’s stocking and packing associates. It’s often that I find myself before such a group – what I often refer to as the ‘guts’ of the business operations. What is not often, however, is how I came away having been so inspired.
You see it all started with a special leader named Rick. Rick is the warehouse manager at this well-run distribution center. Rick is a man of quiet demeanor, and thoughtful focus. He is also a man who exudes a respect for the people with whom he works. And as you might expect, those same people show a respect for Rick. As Rick stood before this diverse group of company associates, he began with a confident and upbeat “Good Morning.” While he continued talking, the employees showed a high level of attention and respect -- the sort of attention that stems from genuine interest – not because Rick was the boss to many in the room.
Shortly into Rick’s comments, he asked the associates a question; “Now what is it that we value here?” Without hesitation the group responded with a blended voice, “Do what’s right and do what makes sense.” “That’s right,” he said, “it’s just that simple.” And just that simple it is. Doing what’s right means showing up to work on time. It means picking the right stock number off the shelf. It means filling out paperwork properly. And doing what makes sense means that if a stock item is damaged, you don’t pack it, you report it. It means doing what you would hope someone would do for you if it was your order that was being packed.
In our world of busy and often burned-out workplaces, one of the most difficult concepts for companies to convey is HOW THEIR VALUES LEAD TO DECISIONS AND ACTIONS. Values should guide each and every individual in the delivery of service to its customers and its own organization. How, after all, do the behind-the-scenes team members stay focused on the right things? They may never see or talk directly with a customer, being a true Service Partner. I recommend this spirit of partnership. You see, by seeing each other as partners within the complexity of an organization, you build a sense of teamwork – with all team members having their eyes on the same target…your company’s mission! What Rick made so clear to his ‘team partners’ was that by doing what’s right and what makes sense, you will be doing right by all. He let the associates know their value, and he let them know of his trust. It was apparent that Rick’s comments were from the heart, not scripted or memorized. Not only did I listen attentively to him, but I watched the faces of the others in the room. As Rick turned the remainder of the meeting over to me, I could only think of one word…Amen!
The busiest of all seasons over the next four weeks, many of us will do more shopping than we do in the other 48 weeks combined. We will have an opportunity to experience business’ ability and agility in its most demanding of times. During this same time, we will also have a tremendous opportunity…an opportunity to treat others as we would like them to treat us. This especially goes for our fellow team members. Provide encouragement, demonstrate your support, and pass along a smile so that they can pass it along to others. After all, it’s simply the right thing to do.