“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

 

The last time I wrote, I was at the crossroads of a huge career decision. I decided to stick to my guns and pursue my next degree while teaching! In the meantime, I’ve decided to work with Teach for America to get back into the swing of being in a school setting. The majority of my responsibilities center around logistics and project planning, much of which I was doing in my previous position, and I really love it. But wait, why the change? How could I enjoy this when I previously disliked this type of work?

 

Well, I think it boils down to two things (1) The nature of the work and (2) the mindset towards my position. Number one is fairly self-explanatory, it’s a different industry with a goal I’m more invested in; number two on the other hand requires a bit more of an explanation. I’ve always approached my work with an “all-in” mentality, and I have always been recognized for those “above-and-beyond” contributions. It wasn’t until I took a logistics position outside of the field of education that I felt my effort may be for nothing, or I was undervalued and thought of as expendable. I attributed those feelings to the position; however, the last few weeks I’ve really been forced to reflect on that situation. My responsibility set is similar to my previous job, but the people I interact with seem to really value what I do. How do I know this? I’m constantly receiving thanks for the hours I’m putting in, I’m sitting at the table providing feedback, and I’m making decisions. These may all seem like simple things, but I experienced the exact opposite at my previous job.

 

From my experience, many seemed to hold the mindset that my position was “unskilled” and required very little intelligence which manifested itself in the way individuals would speak to you, the role you would play in meetings, and the decisions you were allowed to make vs. the outcomes you were held responsible for. It all boiled down to how this made me feel and if you’re a woman and you bring up feeling and/or emotions in the workplace that’s not an easy conversation to have, but it does have a huge impact on people.

 

After comparing the experience I’ve had at the two companies, I know that it wasn’t the nature of the work, but how I felt in that environment. My advice? Regardless of the position you hold at work, you should always be cautious of the way you make people feel; this can truly make or break their experience and it will be unforgettable (in a negative sense). The simple “Thank You”, “I appreciate what you do”, and acknowledgment of feedback goes a long way. It’s also really important that those on the receiving end of this treatment assume the best because people might not even realize they’re being dismissive of a certain group in the workplace, which is why I say it wasn’t the position or the people, but the mindset.