How Do You Make an Impact?
Leticia Villa, Learning & Development Consultant
Have you ever wondered: why am I here? What purpose do I have? What am I doing?
Now, I can’t explain your life’s purpose, but I can remind you of all the ways you impact your workplace. It doesn’t matter who you are, what your title is, or how many people you know. You make a huge difference!
At Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona, you have an opportunity to change lives whether you know it or not. From our retail stores to our corporate office, and everyone in-between, we all make a huge difference in people lives by coming to work and giving it our all. Our mission to serve people in our community couldn’t be achieved without you!
Although there are plenty of ways to make an impact at work, here are a few I would like to focus on:
Your presence “Presence is more than just being there.” – Malcolm S. Forbes
Getting to work on time, and being ready to go, helps the business run as smoothly as possible. All team members depend on you. Being fully staffed makes work easier for everyone, and keeps our internal and external customers satisfied. Your charm, the way you are around people, makes a huge difference. Customers and team members alike enjoy your presence. You bring a different aspect to the workplace that people miss when you are gone. Some people come in just to be around people, and you are one of them. I know personally I wouldn’t enjoy my job without my team members and customers. Yes, we are all different, but that’s what makes it even more fun!
Your work’s purpose “It’s easy to make a buck. It’s hard to make a difference” –Tom Brokaw
GCNA thrives when you give it your all to do the best work possible. Each team member and department plays a role in the success of our mission. There are thousands of people who need the services we offer in order to provide for themselves and their families. The work you do helps change lives. Helping someone obtain fulfilling employment comes from you. All of your hard work and dedication goes towards more than just a paycheck. So far, this year alone, you have contributed to 59,374 individuals receiving our services, and 23,078 being placed into jobs! None of that is possible without you.
Your actions “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James
Every time someone comes to you for a service at work, you represent GCNA. You help set the culture for your workplace with the words you speak and the actions you take, such as having a great attitude, keeping conversations positive and taking pride in your work. If you are one of the people always willing to give a hand, gets everyone going, makes people laugh, and overall just contributes to making the workplace better – you are making an impact! In fact, Harris Interactive surveyed 1,240 workers on workforce retention and 51% of individuals said they would agree that their co-workers are a reason why they stay with their current employer. Even the way you approach tasks in the workplace makes a huge difference. When you perform your tasks with genuine pride, it shows. It sets GCNA separate from any other business!
We are like everyday superheroes, because we have the great power of making an impact on everything that surrounds us! It may not seem as exciting as flying or having super human strength, but the things we do every day are important. The next time you say, “I don’t make a difference” or “I don’t matter”, please remember that your presence and hard work do count! Make your mark in life by being yourself and doing the best you can! Smile, tell jokes, be an extra 20 minutes early for your shift, and offer your help whenever you can!
Thank you for every difference you make.
Thank you for your impact.
