Acknowledge a Great Colleague

I am lucky in that I enjoy coming to work almost everyday. It gives me a lot of energy to see people come in and get the help they need from our organization and to see staff have fun at work. It is very stressful, on the other hand, when someone in the team is bringing other people down.

This week at our staff meeting we talked about characteristics of a great colleague. We want to celebrate the contributions of staff in our organization who provide exemplary client service and help create a great environment in the office. I decided to offer a $100 bonus for the person voted by his/her peers as the person who best exemplifies the characteristics described above.

Without naming the winner at this point, here are some of the comments made on the nomination forms:

• always there to help when needed and never complains about giving a helping hand
• reliable and accountable for his/her actions
• sense of humour
• great relationship with clients
• well deserving of acknowledgement of a job well done
• goes the extra mile (1.6 km)
• light hearted and funny
• puts 100% into everything he/she does

People make a difference. Someone told me that most people will forget what you say or do but they will never forget how you make them feel. Congratulations on a job well done.

What makes a great coworker in your workplace?