Just say something nice

I work with a lot of really nice people. We have very few people in our department that are just hard to get along with. In fact, there’s very few in the whole company. It’s a utility that has been managed well over time and there’s always been a family atmosphere no matter where you meet the employees. There are some people who are ‘less friendly’ but for the most part everyone gets along well.

When you’ve worked in that type of environment for a while you start expecting that kind of behavior wherever you go. That’s why rude people surprise me so much. When I try to do business with someone and they’re just rude or short in their responses it just knocks me back on my heels. I try to just smile and let it go, but sometimes I get my back up too.

That’s not really what I wanted to say actually. Today, I received an email from a guy I sometimes interface with that gave me some light praise for the way I handled a problem. He copied my manager, which was nice, and it really made me feel good and appreciate him more. It was just a small gesture that cost him nothing but a few minutes to type it, but it was important to me. What made it even more special is the fact that he’s not known to do that very often. I guess my action was so surprising to him that he felt compelled to note it.

Of course, it made me realize how important it is for me to do the same to those around me. It doesn’t take much energy or time to write a quick note, but it can really make someone’s day when you do. I think I’ll do that more often.