Which Moments Do You Remember?
By: Randy Wolken, President & CEO

Think back over the last few years.  Which moments do you remember?  Most of us remember celebrations, hard challenges, new beginnings, and maybe a trip we have taken with our families.  How many work memories do you have?  Are there a lot of them?  Are they exciting, positive, or inspiring?  If not, why not?

Our lives are made up of moments.  Each day offers a series of opportunities to create and experience moments.  In fact, to be totally honest, all we have is today – yesterday is the past and tomorrow is the future. So, it is in today that we can make and experience memorable moments.  As a leader, reinforcing that is one of our most important tasks. We must be intentional about creating memories with our teams.

Work should have memorable moments.  Unfortunately, it is too easy to try to just get through the day without any “drama” or setbacks.  But, did you ever think that both our daily drama and setbacks are what can make it most memorable?  It is not that we want either of these scenarios to negatively impact our workplaces; however, how we handle either will decide what we remember as we look back upon today.

In today’s world, more and more people are in-tune to their experiences.  Entire industries are being won and lost on experiences. Take Disney for example, you go to Disney World for the experiences – not a set of rides or hotel accommodations. Recently, a colleague of mine took his children to Disney World and ended up spending most of it near the hotel room with a sick child.  What did he remember?  Times spent with his children at the pool side.  He described them with a smile on his face.  Sure, he did get to experience a few days in the park as well, but it was the time he spent with his children that mattered most.

In our workplaces, what does our team remember about their experiences?  Do they describe how the team rolled up their sleeves and got the project done – together?  Are achievements or milestones praised and celebrated – or do we just quickly move on to the next task?  Do we take time out to honor the many years of service our teammates have given to our vital mission?  For instance, each week at our MACNY staff meeting, we highlight when one of our teammates reaches an anniversary of joining the team – and serving our members.  On said anniversary date, the teammate’s supervisor/coach takes them out to lunch to celebrate.  It is a small token of how grateful we are – but it is certainly remembered and appreciated.  We also celebrate our success and thank each other for our joint efforts.  We are creating moments that make up a work life.

How are you and your team creating moments to be remembered?  How could you create more moments to be celebrated and remembered?  Can you start this new process today?  Our lives are made up of moments.  As a leader, it is our job to find ways to both celebrate and create more of them.