Do We Acknowledge People’s Efforts as Often as We Should?
As I was walking into the gym today, a young man stopped me to talk. He started with, “Excuse me sir, I just have to tell you… What you’re doing, I respect it. I want you to know you’re the type of guy I want to be.” This totally shocked me! He then went on about my car, quality of dress, and work ethic that he had been noticing for weeks in the gym. He asked me for some advice, so I went on to tell him about my core beliefs. My dedication, hard work and integrity mixed with holding myself to the highest standard is what made this young man stop me dead in my tracks this morning. Has this ever happened to you?
I want you to know, I’m not writing this to pat myself on the back. But I must admit, someone stopping me for this type of discussion is uncommon and it felt amazing to be acknowledged for my efforts. I strive daily to be “better than average” in all that I do, and this young man in his kind words has and will push me further. His words will make me better.
Moving forward, this morning’s situation got me thinking on a business level and how it relates to our industry of transportation. In an industry flooded with capacity and fly-by-night companies, are carriers like mine that are dedicated to quality, superior service, and being “above average” being noticed and appreciated by the customer? Or is today’s market strictly driven by bottom dollar? I hope not!
If customers recognized the efforts put in by the quality carriers, would they reap the benefits of the carriers continually pushing themselves to the highest quality possible just as I did from this man’s acknowledgment this morning? I think so!
I’d like to think we can all make the world a better place, pushing each other to be the best version of ourselves. So next time you notice someone, or a company you work with going above and beyond, putting in the effort, quality, and hard work…. Let them know you appreciate it. In turn, this appreciation will improve them, their company, the industry, and overall the world.
In fact, I challenge you to give 3 people on LinkedIn Kudos today as a way to spread the acknowledgment of exceptional efforts!
This article is written by Adam Huber, Vice President of A. Blair Enterprises, a transportation and logistics company based in Louisville, KY. To learn more about A. Blair Enterprises, visit their website at www.goablair.com?