I have been traveling a lot this summer and while I have been away I have been very conscious of all the people in jobs that made my trips possible. Of course, there were many in high-level positions that were integral but mostly I paid attention to the hundreds in service jobs who were necessary for me to have the experiences I did. I think about the people who cleaned the restaurant, changed out my hotel towels, emptied the trash cans, cooked my food, did the dishes afterward, ran the amusement park rides, set up the meeting room, maintained the train, swept the floor in the station, took the tickets, etc. etc.
I specifically was struck by the person cleaning the restrooms at the airport at 11 pm — would you want that job? Would you even want to be responsible for finding someone to hire to take that job? Probably not.
Too often, we overlook the people in positions that provide the infrastructure that makes our work, travel, business, and leisure possible. We complain about poor service but good service becomes invisible as if the business was cleaned on its own or the food only required a chef and not the dozens around them to shop, prep, and clean up.
Raise your awareness of the people who do the work that helps your work and make a conscious effort to acknowledge them. There are many functions that aren’t glamorous but are necessary and a word of appreciation can go a long way.
