Willmar Electric’s purpose statement is “People Making a Difference for People.” We talk about it often, review it during new-hire orientation, and remind new employees that if we didn’t think they fit our purpose, we wouldn’t have hired them. That reminder always brings a smile.
We tell them that within their first two weeks, they’ll see our purpose in action. And, just as likely, they’ll live it out for someone else. More smiles.
During our daily huddle, someone is asked to give an example of someone living the purpose statement at work. People rarely have trouble finding an example.
We hear a wide variety of examples.
“I unexpectedly missed a meeting, and a coworker stepped in to lead it for me.”
“The prebid was in another town, so a local coworker went on our behalf.”
“I needed a ride, and my coworker helped me out.”
“My car broke down, and the first person I thought to call was a coworker.”
“I didn’t know how to do a task, and a coworker took the time to train me.”
Again, you see the smiles on people’s faces as they talk about a coworker making a difference, and the coworker smiles at being noticed. The example also inspires the rest of the crowd.
It’s so easy to acknowledge others, and I hope we never forget that. Too often, we take each other for granted.
We recently conducted an engagement survey at Willmar Electric. We were pleased to see that our scores exceeded those of a typical workplace. We believe living out our core values is a key reason why.
A common theme in the comments—regardless of office location or project—was how much people enjoy working with their colleagues. (That made me smile.)
Nothing makes an employer happier than knowing that the people you work with and around enjoy working together.
Being the difference in someone’s life should bring a smile to everybody’s face.
