Rob Hey continues to share his thoughts this month on how we can serve more effectively at work.
It is amazing to see people around the office that will step up and serve when the time calls for it. We all have talents and gifts that can be used in powerful ways if we will just decide that serving is a priority and open our eyes to the opportunities that present themselves all over the workplace. These opportunities can come from all kinds of directions. Let me share a story with you about someone I work with who was a real inspiration to me in this way.
We all remember the tornado that went through Joplin, MO last year as if it were yesterday. It was one of those moments in life you will always remember what you were doing when you heard about the devastation so close to home. The next day at the office, so many people were asking, “what can we do”? Several wanted to immediately drive to Joplin to help with the recovery effort, yet nobody was really sure how to get started or what to do. After listening quietly to all the concern throughout the day, one of our associates, John, asked if he could talk to me in my office. John lives in Monett, MO, very close to Joplin, and had served as a Missouri State Trooper in a previous career. In a very short amount of time, John showed me a plan he had put on paper of how many volunteers we would need around the clock to feed emergency workers in downtown Joplin. The plan included supplies, location, emergency phone numbers, vehicles, and everything else that would have us serving food within a couple of hours. Once the plan was in place, the volunteers were assembled and a schedule was put together allowing us to serve food in Joplin for the next two weeks.
What started as concern and a lot of uncertainty, quickly turned into action when one person stepped up with a plan. Over the next two weeks, our entire office staff had taken time out of their schedule to serve emergency workers in Joplin.
Many times in our day-to-day routine, it just takes someone to step up and provide the leadership necessary to make something happen. So many people around you want to help serve others, yet they don’t know where to start. As you start to respond to these opportunities, your co-workers will be inspired by the example you set and serving others can become a common part of your workplace experience.
