Do for One

My colleague, Brad Lovell, recommended a podcast episode and was emphatic that I MUST listen to it. In the seven years I’ve know Brad, he’s never said that to me, so I knew it was good. On this episode of Front Row Seat, Ken Coleman interviews Jesse Cole, the founder of the Savannah Bananas. Brad was right. It’s a must listen.

As I drove into the office on a dark, cold morning, I was instantly inspired and energized by Jesse’s story and message. Story after story of moments made, moments of thrill and delight, and he would often say after those stories, “Do for one what you wish you could do for many.”

Now, whether you work in HR or in a different leadership position in schools, you know how fairness is often called into question. But I can’t help but remember what Dan and Chip Heath say in The Power of Moments, “Beware of the soul-sucking force of reasonableness.”

I had a chance to catch up with Brad upon finishing the 60 minute listen over the course of a couple of days. We both were so energized and struck by this idea of “Do for one what you wish you could do for many.” I’ve always been big on creating experiences that make people excited to come to school and work every day. I even wrote about it in a chapter titled, “Popsicles and Conga Lines” in Legacy of Learning. However, it’s easy to lose sight of the joy, the fun, and the even the silly that’s needed in our daily lives and workplaces.

But what we look for, we find, and suddenly, I couldn’t unsee little opportunities to deliver just a bit more than people expected last week. A new secretary was finishing her first full week of work, so I wrote her a note to celebrate how she’s already making a positive difference in our office. With that note, I handed her what I had learned was her favorite caffeinated beverage. An employee emailed Brad to thank him for an exercise he had them complete during new staff orientation. Essentially, he had them schedule send emails to their mid-year selves. She marveled at how much she had grown over just a four month period of time and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to see that growth as a result of that writing exercise.

I said to Brad, “What if we brought her lunch and asked her to tell us more about her experience so far as we work to create the best possible experience for new staff and all staff?”

“Do for one what we wish you could do for many.”

So we did. Her reaction of “surprise and delight” was contagious.

We all have hard jobs and parts of our jobs that don’t give us energy but what if we sought to multiply energy with moments like this? Because I can tell you, these little acts are helping me reframe a lot of the tough stuff.

So, going into this week, I urge you to check out that episode, and I hope you consider the simple yet powerful concept:

Do for one, what you wish you could do for many.