I had gone to attend a prayer ceremony a few weeks ago. When I arrived (unfortunately a bit late) the hall was full.
An ex colleague of mine, let’s call him Mr. Z, who I greatly admire was standing at the entrance. He pointed me towards a corner and said “there is space there sir”. A minute later, as if by magic a chair had also been arranged for me. Mr. Z knows I struggle to sit cross legged on the floor. How he managed to find the chair and get it to me so smoothly is just an example of how he helps his team. What I love about him is that his team is anyone and everyone he comes into contact with.
It is in his nature to help. I know of so many people that Mr. Z has helped. He does not distinguish between current or ex colleague. Senior or junior. He always brings his ‘A game’. What makes him extraordinary is his ability to make every single person he comes into contact with feel special. He does this with his trademark brand of personal care and attention. No task is too big or too small for Mr. Z. No person is too big or too small for him to spare his time for.
How many people in your life make you feel that comforted and safe? Do you know and trust that they have “got this” for you? In a world where we are all so stressed and worried, the peace of mind that can come from knowing that you have people around you who say “I have got this” and mean it, is truly a blessing.
In contrast, I think of all the ‘service providers’ that I come into contact with, where the opposite is true. They seem to be out to get me. I recently booked a ticket online and had a whole lot of services I did not want bundled in along with the ticket. I had to ‘opt out’ rather than ‘opt in’. This was hidden in the fine print.
I had to get some paperwork done from another. Sent an email. Followed it up with a WhatsApp message. Waited for a day. No reply. Then I made a call and finally got to speak to the person who said he would look into it. A day later, after repeated follow up, I got a response that was far from reassuring. My work is clearly not a priority. I feel the opposite of “I have got this” from this service provider. In fact, I feel like I have got a cloud of worry over my head.
This got me thinking about the value of dependability. In the workplace, of the many abilities that one looks for when hiring people, I believe dependability is one of the greatest abilities.
Mental health can come from the quality of people you surround yourself with. Do you have people in your life who say “I have got this” and mean it or do you have a cloud of worry over your head?
What does it take to make others feel you got this? A good time to do a bit of introspection. Do the people whose life you touch feel that you have ‘got this’ for them? What could you do differently to put them more at ease? How can you be a Mr. Z ?
Say what you mean. Do what you say. Do it with a smile. Dependability truly is a wonderful ability.
A trusted coaching and communications professional, Nikhil Dey is a certified life and leadership coach (International Coach Federation - ICF). Nurturing talent and helping clients achieve their goals is what makes him happy. He loves learning from students of communication, teaching courses and guest lecturing at various educational institutions. When he is not working you will find him on the tennis court or out for long walks with his family and four legged friends.
Previously he has held senior leadership positions at Weber Shandwick and Genesis BCW.
He can be reached on twitter @deydreaming
Completely agree