On Thanksgiving day, Paul Chaffee celebrated his 27th year at the US Postal Service.
He tells me that he’s very thankful, because, he says, “I have truly been able to do what I love in the service of people who have loved what I’ve done.”
I’m thankful for Paul’s generosity of heart, and for his willingness to share the Professional Love Note he recently wrote (and delivered) to Hannah Lohman, a carrier on his team. (You’ll see how beautifully he makes use of the guidelines outlined in my previous post).
Imagine you’re Hannah, and you just received a card from your boss with these words:
Dear Hannah,
Currently, if I were to pull a seniority list of the Zionsville Post Office, we would find Hannah Lohman’s name at or near the very bottom of the list. We are an experienced group and we don’t have a lot of turnover…you are just the newest of the bunch.
However, if I were to adjust that list a little bit, and create a ranked list of people who totally get it, with the “it” being the lofty workplace ideals that I toss out so freely each week from my speaker’s lectern, I’d simply have to place you at or near the top of the list. And I wanted to just THANK YOU and let you know how pleased Amy and I are (along with so many others in the group) that you are a part of our group here in Zionsville.
On Thursday, a couple of perfect examples of “it” came up. In the morning, Sara had forgotten a tray of FSS mail at the office. “No sweat”, Hannah says…“I’m heading out that way anyway…I’ll just take it to her.” Unfortunately, not every member of our group would have so readily volunteered to do something like that for another person.
You NEVER hesitate for a moment; it’s who you are and it’s what you do.
Later in the afternoon, I find out that Dana is toast on Rural 8. The beast had her in its grasp, and we were facing non-deliveries or a very late night from her if she didn’t have help. One quick phone call to Hannah, and it is “not a problem – I’m on it” from the other end of the phone.
You jump into action, take a bunch of mail from her, bail us all out, and you both get back by 6PM. In your mind, it’s probably “no big deal”…in my mind, it is a H-U-G-E deal, because it is an action and an attitude that nearly EXACTLY replicates in real life what we talk about as our workplace ideals…and that’s where the “leadership” tie in comes in.
You’ve chosen to have a love of the business. That LOVE of the business creates an ENERGY in you that drives you to do great things in the workplace. You use that energy in AUDACIOUS and creative ways…and you PROVE your dedication every day through your extreme efforts – not just in your own work, but in “being there” for others when they need a boost as well. That’s it…the LEAP…Love, Energy, Audacity, and Proof. You’ve probably never read the book…but you live the story. Thanks so much for all you do, Hannah…