CHAPTER SEVEN
Pay Attention to the Janitor
Be generous and understanding.
Let no one come to you without feeling
better and happier when they leave.
Be the living expression of God’s kindness:
with kindness on your face, kindness in
your eyes, kindness in your smile,
kindness in your warm greeting.
JOURNALIST DAN WOODING once wrote, “The other day, a friend asked me which of the thousands of interviews I have done over the years had impacted me the most. That was an easy one to answer. It was with Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the ‘Saint of the Gutters.’”12 Countless other journalists have made similar statements.
One reason Mother Teresa touched people so deeply was that she made them feel heard and valued. She understood that at the most basic level, we all want to feel valued in what we do, whether by our families, our friends, or our colleagues.
As mentioned earlier, Mother Teresa opened many homes for the dying, the desolate, and the destitute. She believed that everyone should feel valued enough to pass away in peace, surrounded by warmth and love. As she put it, “My years of dedication and service to the poor have helped me to understand that it is precisely they who really understand human dignity. Their main problem is not their lack of money but the fact that their right to be treated humanely and lovingly is not recognized.”13
Mother Teresa also knew that valuing people could change their lives. Mrs. Ann Blaikie, cochair of the International Association of Mother Teresa’s Co-Workers, told this story:
One day as we were walking with Mother Teresa along the streets of Calcutta, a young man dashed up to us and knelt down to kiss Mother Teresa’s feet. He told her that he was going to be married in a few hours. Mother Teresa explained to me that, a few months before, the young man had been brought, dying from hunger and tuberculosis, to the home for the dying. At the house he had been cared for and had learned a modest occupation, that of shining shoes. It had been enough to enable him to start a new life.14
Never Forget the People Who Helped You on Your Life Journey
Life is a journey filled with stories—some happy, some sad, and many in between. Throughout this journey we meet people who influence and help us in multiple ways. Some remain friends, others come in and out of our lives, and many go away. It is important to be grateful and remember those who have touched our lives along the way. They were gifts given to us. Think about who these people have been in your life and give a moment of thanks.
In 1979 Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize. She chose to bring with her to Stockholm the first two sisters who had had the courage to leave the Sisters of Loreto with her to start a new life. That sense of appreciation and gratitude was apparent in her every word, task, and thought.
Pay Attention!
How do you make people feel valued? Pay attention to them! Acknowledge who they are. Ask them questions. Know their names. If you are a leader in your organization, take the time to remember the names of all the people you meet. Acknowledge them, or you may never learn what they have to offer. If you judge people by title or reputation, without trying to get to know them, then you’ll never know what they have to offer, and you could miss out on a valuable opportunity.
RUMA’S STORY: The first time I met Mother Teresa, she lovingly enveloped my hands in hers and made me feel like I was the most important person for her at that moment. She felt so powerful, and yet so tender. That first moment remains vivid in my mind.
Mother Teresa seemed to hear hearts and see into souls. She created a safe environment that fostered intense dialogue and soul searching with no fear of judgment. Her sincerity made everyone feel valued, and her warmth and love carried those who met her into another state of mind. I had the immense, humbling privilege of seeing this magical transformation over and over again. Her magic was human and contagious, and her language was universal love. She treated everyone with the same respect—a child in the slums, an AIDS patient in New York, or a corporate executive. She believed we all have the ability to connect to others in the purest way. That simple human magic was her spiritual bedrock, the foundation of her vision and her organization.
Mother Teresa always greeted people the same way. As you interact with the people in your company, do you engage with them all in the same way? Or do you talk one way with the janitor and a completely different way with your senior executives? You already know the answers. If you really are not sure, think about what others would say if they saw you engaging with different people in your organization. Could they tell the difference?
Mother Teresa led the way with her behavior, and the sisters tried to emulate her. Mother Teresa was the change she wanted to be in her organization. It started with her and became inherent in the way everyone in the Missionaries of Charity treated people. You can have the same effect in your organization with your behavior.
LOU’S STORY: One lesson I learned from my dad is to give everyone in your organization the same respect. My dad believed that the people in the mail room know their role in the company better than anyone else and thus are in the best position to know how to improve it. My dad taught me to listen to them as I would to a senior executive, as both have value as people and value to add to the organization. This lesson opened me up to be receptive to ideas from all parts of the organization. I try to apply it wherever I work.
While I was a vice president at an investment banking firm, I got into the elevator one day, and the CEO got in as well. This man was a legend on Wall Street. He turned to me, introduced himself, and asked my name and what I did at the firm. I stammered some response and was grateful when the elevator door opened and he got out, saying it was good to meet me. I learned from that moment that if the CEO cares enough about each person to ask who he is and what he does, then as a manager I had better care too. I had better care in the same way, and I had better ask and listen to those I work with, whether they are in the elevator, on the shop floor, or in the executive suite. This interaction has made me more conscious to this day about others in the organization and the contribution they each make.
Valuing your stakeholders is rewarded by loyalty, productivity, efficiency, low turnover, trust, community and investor support, and increased sales. Having a workforce of people who care about each other will translate into a great work environment and superior customer service. These in turn will lead to financial success and move you toward realizing your vision.
Mother Teresa understood this. Her kindness ranged far and wide, and years after her death, her impact continues through those she touched. She always paid attention to the janitor.