Bring performance to life
Last week I was playing whack-a-mole with all kinds of irksome admin, so was grateful to find two people who volunteered invaluable support beyond what was expected.
On Tuesday, a network engineer working at a past client found and freed an email that was stuck in the organisation’s firewall. He went on to explain how the servers were handling our messages, set our new domain as ‘trusted’, and highlight resources to build our reputation with Microsoft.
Then, on Friday, an agent at HMRC – for readers outside the UK, this is our government’s tax and revenue department – first answered my questions about their records. She then spoke of internal complications an outsider could not have known and gave advice on how to navigate all the red tape.
Both people made a difference: our emails now stand a better chance of reaching inboxes hosted by Microsoft; I may even avoid spontaneous human combustion when I next talk to HMRC. The experiences also made me feel heard and valued.
Value of EQ and connection
This discretionary effort revolves around a connection rather than a task. Instead of just going through the motions, the engineer and the agent sensed my unspoken needs and – without being prompted – combined emotional intelligence (EQ), technical skill, and their authority to make my day better.
When someone works in this thoughtful way, it can – for colleagues, customers, and other stakeholders – mean the difference between ‘good enough’ and ‘excellent’.
Still, relational performance often lies beyond the functional duties listed in a job spec and may not be directly rewarded. After all, connecting with people happens quietly and ‘in the moment’: such discretionary effort is hard to evaluate.
Saying thank you
People in service roles, and at work broadly, are accustomed to rants more than to praise. To hear of a job well done, then, can be uplifting.
I emailed the manager of the engineer to explain why I had reached out, what her team member had done, and how this helped me. A capable leader, this person forwarded my note to the engineer and, in recognition of good work, also to her own boss.
I cannot know whether the email I wrote to HMRC will be of use. The agent’s department has no process for receiving feedback, although we did at least settle on a team inbox she thought might work.
These two people improved my week. In return, a few encouraging words cost me nothing. Positive feedback (a) makes a person feel valued; (b) strengthens someone’s position at work; (c) encourages similar performance in future; (d) makes the giver happy.
In talking about these ideas, a friend remarked how ’positivity attracts positivity’. Both sides shape the interaction, for better or worse: virtuous and vicious circles alike are possible.
Practical actions
Below are three simple, no-cost ways to encourage work that enables, and benefits from, human connection.
1. Recognise your own role
Be mindful of your own agency during even transient exchanges. Had I been unpleasant in email or on the phone, I doubt either person would have helped me. Where possible, I call someone by their name.
2. Express appreciation
To the individual, mention what went well, both actions and manner – friendly, say, or confident; how the exchange made you feel – reassured, for example; and the value of any outcome – such as emails that reach inboxes.
3. Tell a manager
Whereas organisations offer ways to complain, routes for positive feedback are often lacking. I ask to talk or write to a manager; on a form, I include the person’s name with a request to pass on my comments.
How do you respond when others connect with you, or fail to see you, as they go about their work?