You may have heard the phrase “Make My Day”. It’s from the 1983 film Sudden Impact and was said by Clint Eastwood to another character. It has a negative connotation because (according to one source) it means “Carry on with what you are doing. It will give me an excuse to behave badly.”
I’d like to take that negative phrase and turn it into a positive. Think of “Make Their Day” as an act of kindness that we do to surprise and delight someone else. And remember: When you make their day, you are bound to make your day, too.
Whether you are one of the leaders in your organization or a team member, this is something you could do for many people you come in contact with during the normal activities of the day (both inside and outside of work).
EXAMPLE: Whenever a barista makes an especially good hot chocolate for my wife, I always go back into the building to tell the team what a great job they did that day. It makes team members smile, applaud each other, or say: “You really made our day.” They probably don’t have that may people coming in to comment about something great that they did. Here’s an important point, though: They will never forget you did that.
START AT WORK BY MAKING A TEAM MEMBER’S DAY
You could keep a list of all your team members’ names and think about how you could make their day. This will be a great reminder to start practicing this behavior.
Be specific about why you are recognizing them. Here are a few ideas:
— a report they did that you thought hit the mark
— a comment you heard them make that was spot on
— something they did for another team member
— a value that they always demonstrate
— a customized “why we are so lucky you are working here” comment
Why not start today? Who will be the first person you recognize? _____________________