Volunteers, giving and Walk for Awareness
At 5.45am Sunday morning an army of volunteers gathered to help set up for the Walk for Awareness, an annual event organised by The Mental Awareness Foundation to raise awareness around Mental Health. The pace was frantic as there would soon be over 2000 people descending on the park under the Storey Bridge in Brisbane, all looking for their registration packs.
As I arrived at 7.30am, it seemed like chaos with so many people already there. What soon struck me, was that everything was moving quickly and the volunteers were on point delivering all that was expected. The lines were moving and the check in process was smooth, very impressive indeed. All from a group of volunteers who cared about the cause… each of them having a story relating to Mental Health.
Why did this resonate? As we walked around the 8km river course, it dawned on me that here were people giving up their Sunday to help walkers stay on track to their destination, very similar to what I have chosen to do for leaders and SME’s, yet no one was recognising them for this. So me being me, I chose to change that and took a photo with all the volunteers on the track… thanking them for their effort.
So what did I learn? Here are 3 things I took away:
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Thank You’s are Quick and Free – showing gratitude costs us nothing and takes no time at all… yet has a lasting impact.
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The Sign – we all have a sign on our forehead that says “Please make me feel special” and we can choose to see that sign and make it happen through our actions
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Give a Reason to Remember – people may not remember who you are, yet they will remember how you made them feel. So to have a lasting impact, think about what impression you want to leave people with.
So this week, think about the feeling you leave people with and whether it is serving you well. If not, maybe the picture above might give you some clues as to what you may need to do.
Have an awesome week team!
Cheers
Paul
0401610666
