All The Small Things

This week, Jack hosted a small dinner to honor Karen W.’s 25th anniversary at DII. It was a very nice evening with a few stories from the archives of DII’s rich history. On many occasions, I have described our business history like an onion and at the center are a host of people who make DII a special place to work and an honor to lead. It is important to take time, now and again, to honor those at the core. In the trying times we face, a 40 year history is a rich account of success; a success that cannot be achieved without key people who make a difference at our core. This evening was about Karen and we reflected on the most special qualities that Karen embodies. After the dinner, we were saying our goodbyes and Sal captured the sentiment of the evening. He said, “It is nice to do something for Karen, because she does so much and asks for so little.” This got me to thinking.

What is it that makes Karen special? At dinner we asked Karen, how many pieces of mail have passed through your hands? How much money have you handled over 25 years? How many keys have been made? How many questions has Karen answered? The list of things, small things, goes on and on. How many things have been done to keep things going? How many small things were done in service to all of us? If you weighed each one, they might not amount to much. When you stack them up, you have a critical mass that tips the scale of significance.

All have a common theme, Karen works in service to all of us. She makes DII a better place for all, by doing countless, almost unnoticeable acts of kindness and service. On this week, we were celebrating her 25+ year journey, but it is also true that Karen is not alone.
I recently watched an interview of Marilyn Carlson Nelson, CEO of the Carlson Group (http://www.carlson.com/), owners of Radisson Hotels, TGI Fridays, Country Inn & Suites, and Regent Seven Seas Cruise Lines and employer of over 140,000 people worldwide. In the interview, she was asked about the death of her 19 year old daughter in a car accident, just after going off to college. The question posed was how do you go on? Her response inspired me. She lives each day, knowing that she has been granted a gift (a gift her daughter did not receive) and asks herself at the end of the day, can I sign my name to this a day?

Recently I wrote about roles versus jobs. We all have the same job and play a key role. Defining our roles is no simple task. One thing is certain, when we are acting in the service of others; we are performing a critical component of the role that will ensure a job well done. Our customers must be served, our co-workers must be served, our partners must be served, our producers must be served and our staff must be served. In doing so, I believe it is the small things that make a difference. The way we answer the phone matters, the way we greet another matters, how we spend our time matters – frankly all the small things matter. When we cheerfully do the small things, I believe we can sign our name in bold print. The canvas will frequently have Karen’s signature and so many other who make a difference – so to all of you, I say thank you.