I've spent my youth and middle age committed to helping others. It began from the time I started working, and it is almost three decades now. It's what gives me the greatest joy, fulfillment and satisfaction in life. I'm also a true believer in the old adage - "What goes around comes around," much like the boomerang, much like an echo. This is reinforced on many occasions when I encounter an old colleague, friend or acquaintance who reminds me of how I inspired them, gave them guidance or helped them through a difficult time. These kinds of experiences always motivate me to keep putting good things out into the world. We never know in advance what good may come from the gestures we put out there. Maybe it will inspire, encourage, educate, motivate or actually change someone's life. In any event, people will always come away knowing that they matter to you. In professional life, as in personal life, it all comes down to people. At work, people are your customers, ex-colleagues, peers, associates, leaders, managers, investors and vendors. Success in your professional life depends on the people you encounter. How you treat those people will have a significant impact on your bottom line. And in personal life the relationship with your spouse, kith and kin, siblings etc., all affect your life and there is an impact of this on your professional life as well.
For now I restrict myself to the work as most of us spend the most part of our day at work - it includes getting ready, comings and working, then returning back as well.
Here are some ways to help people in your professional circle and show them that they matter: 1. Deliver incredible customer service. 2. Reach out for a colleague who is in distress 3. Pay someone more than you need to. 4. Send a hand-written note to an associate acknowledging a job well done. 5. Loan a subordinate a book that you've found to be helpful. 6. Tell someone struggling "I want to help you succeed," and mean it. 7. Stop by and talk, without an agenda. 8. Share a resource that you've found useful. 9. Create a safe space for openness and honesty. 10. Let people tell you how they feel, and listen without interrupting. I encourage you to think about the people that you impact, the lives that you touch and the positive changes that you can make. These are the true signs of leadership and in my opinion are more important than the money that you make, the position that you hold or the size of your office. You can do good while you're doing well. It may require you to think of new ways to do it, but when you focus on helping others, you'll succeed in ways beyond measure. People will remember you long after you cease to be, and they will remember you for more than one thing.
Don't you want to enjoy this good feeling. Then what are you waiting for make a beginning this day, why wait any longer, make a beginning this moment. Just for a start, let us observe this coming week as an "OPEN APPRECIATION WEEK." I'm sure there are many things that we can share, about the people we have come to appreciate, the work they do that we come to appreciate, the initiative that they take that deserves appreciation, the help that they render that deserves appreciation. Let us share this with all of those we are associated with in your workplace. Let me tell you I've got many things to share about many people I'm associated with here. To begin with I might just sum up the whole things by saying, "I appreciate everyone here for keeping the work environment so clean and "free of politics," that seems to be the nagging issue that most companies are dogged with. This one line sums up the quality of the people we are all connected with here - PURER THAN 24 CARAT GOLD and TOP CLASS. I thank the Almighty for his generosity - he has always connected me with the right people at the right time for the right purpose, all of which I really enjoy. A ROSE TO MY HAND FROM YOU WHEN I AM ALIVE IS WORTH MUCH MORE AND MANY A MILLION TONS OF BOUQUETS ON MY GRAVE.
Author : R Bharadwaj