Over the last 18 months I have been supporting students at the University of Liverpool to set up their own businesses and step out into the entrepreneurial world of self-employment. I spend most of my day out and about but my base is in the heart of the campus in the Liverpool Guild of Students.
Ruth, Katie, Lauren, Jo, Caroline, Laura and Jo make up the Student Experience team in the Guild of Students and allow me to camp out in their office to do my work. They create a wonderful welcome for anyone, including me, who comes in through their doors. During my career I have worked with many fabulous teams but these lovely ladies are something else. Every day their warmth, kindness and humour make my day fun regardless of what I maybe dealing with. When you have worked for yourself for as long as I have it’s particularly nice to feel part of a larger community.
A few weeks ago the team started a gratitude jar. It sits on their meeting table in the office. Every time they feel grateful for someone or something, in to the jar goes a post-it note with an expression of their appreciation. When the jar is full, it gets emptied and the post-it notes are shared with the wider team.
This morning, I arrived to find 3 post-it notes folded up on my own desk and they were truly touching. I had no idea of the impact I had on them.
In our working lives, many of us aren’t seeking a pay rise or promotion but a simple thank you for a job well done, a kind acknowledgement for our efforts or simply to be seen. When we focus and appreciate the small everyday happenings of our lives we are much better equipped to deal with life’s challenges when they appear.
Imagine if every office had a gratitude jar. A much healthier option than a cookie jar for sure!
Who or what are you appreciating today? What would you be writing on your post-it note for your gratitude jar?