The following post I wrote was featured on GovX.com as part of a new monthly series. GovX is a company whose goal is to create the ultimate, privileged, e-commerce destination for active duty, reserve and retired members of the U.S. Armed Forces and related government agencies. Steiner Sports is proud to have a relationship with GovX.
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IF YOU WANT CREDIT, GO TO A BANK
Herm Edwards, longtime NFL player, coach and now ESPN broadcaster, always says, "If you want credit, go to a bank."
In many ways, he's right. With all of the things we do in our lives, it's easy to feel underappreciated because others don't necessarily know what we each go through every day. Not one person out there knows exactly how it feels to walk in someone else's shoes, but we should concentrate on doing certain things for the sake of their importance - not for the recognition afterwards.
Why? Because "judgment day" doesn't come when it's convenient for you; it doesn't come when you want it to. If you deserve an honor or credit for something that you've done, it will happen, but not on your terms. That's just how life works sometimes, and that's what we have to deal with.
However, in terms of the work environment, one of the most frequent complaints by employees is that they feel underappreciated. That notion holds true even for us at Steiner Sports. We conducted a survey, and 65% of our staff (nearly 100 people total) said they felt that way. They didn't feel they were thanked enough.
So, maybe...
YOUR STATEMENT GOT LOST IN THE MAIL
Regardless of the way in which you hear it, never underestimate the amount of which you are appreciated by your employer, customers, family, friends, etc. Maybe the message doesn't get delivered directly to you, but that's okay.
You're not always going to receive an important message exactly how you want it. And, you can't be driven to be extraordinary because you want to get credit for what you're doing. You're often going to be judged in mysterious and weird ways that you probably won't expect.
Certainly, when I think about our military, especially around this time of year, I often ask myself, "Are we really grateful and thankful enough?"
Further, I can imagine that for someone in the military, like some of you reading this post, that they must often wonder, "Do people really appreciate all of the hard work that goes into keeping this country safe?" Because you never know when that "thank you" is going to come.
With that, back to Herm Edwards.
THE BANK ISN'T OPEN 24/7
As selfless as we should all try to act, it never hurts to feel appreciated by others. We need that balance both as "senders" and "receivers."
ap•pre•ci•a•tion (noun): a feeling of being grateful for something
If you want appreciation, the best way to assure that you receive it is to give it to others.
Showing appreciation for others is especially important when it comes to our military. Personally, I'm so glad that we have these times of year - Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Independence Day, among others, where our country emphasizes the importance of our military and provides a platform for us to say, "Thank you." This doesn't mean our appreciation is necessarily lacking at other times. Again, that balance is important.
The reality here is that appreciation and thankfulness comes back to you in all different ways, so THANK YOU for all the sacrifices you've made without being recognized for it. You don't determine when "judgment day" is. It doesn't happen on your terms, yet you understand that when you put in good, you get good back. Always remember that.
