Edit: Still one of my favorite places to visit.
Originally posted April 9, 2013 on AIXchange
I recently wrote about visiting customer locations. I didn’t mention it then, but one visit really stands out. I had no problem finding the place, and there was nothing awe-inspiring about the physical environment. What I’ll always remember is how I was treated when I arrived.
Upon entering I was immediately greeted by a security guard — literally, greeted. He’s one of the happiest people I’ve ever met. He welcomed me, asked my name and showed me to the receptionist so I could get signed in and connected with the folks who were waiting for me.
Interacting with this person throughout the day, I noticed something. I wasn’t special. He greeted everyone that came through the door like an old friend. If he didn’t know someone, he asked for a name, and he remembered it.
The other thing that struck me was the reaction to the security guard. While most of the visitors smiled and nodded, only a handful ever actually uttered any response. I asked about this, and he told me that this was typical — his friendliness generally wasn’t reciprocated.
I honestly felt badly to hear that. I wondered he kept such a positive outlook in the face of constant indifference. After all, it’d be easy to conclude that his efforts simply weren’t worth it.
Then he said something I’ve heard a thousand times, but never fully appreciated. He told me he can’t control anyone’s attitude except his own. Despite the lack of response, he chooses on a daily basis to be happy at work and greet everyone by their name. Long story short, this guy’s choice really brightened my day — really, several days. It was a long-term project and I made several follow-up trips to that facility. The security guard always greeted me by name and with a smile.
Smile. Say hello. Remember names. It seems so simple, it seems so trivial. Yet these small gestures really do matter. You can have the world’s most luxurious facility, but people always make the difference. I visit a lot of customer locations, and I could write about some amazing, pristine work environments. But this experience means more to me. Given the choice, I’d much rather work with happy folks in an old building in the middle of nowhere.
It might not be a big deal, but ask yourself, right now, are you in a good mood? Are you smiling? Or are you having a bad day? Everyone has bad days of course, especially when confronted by external issues and problems beyond your control. Still, if you are having a bad day, could it be better if you just made the choice to be happier?