Who helped you win this year?

It’s the last Friday of November – officially that time of year where most email replies include the words “let’s circle back on this one next year” or “we’ll touch base again in Jan”. Whether you find this to be a source of frustration or relief, the fact of the matter is that December is here. The poor folks that work for Checkers have been stuck in Christmas mode since the 15th of August, so it’s time the rest of us catch up. Break out the Boney M and sunblock!

Last week we asked you to identify the areas where you made progress this year. In case you missed that piece, you can read it here. This week we are sticking with a similar theme, but with a bit of a twist.

Chances are that if you made any progress this year in your personal life or business, there was at least one person that helped you move the needle. Success is almost never a solo project. We are fortunate to work with a bunch of companies that have experienced great success this year and none of them have been able to achieve what they did based on the efforts of only one person. Everyone we ask tells us that they’ve been able to make progress because somebody invested the time to teach them something new, gave them a chance to prove themselves, listened to their stories or was a friend when they needed one.

This is what we suggest you do:

Think about the people that helped you this year, those people without who’s help or support you would have been in a worse position. Think specifically about what they did to benefit you. Then thank them for what they did. They deserve to know. Because chances are that if they know how their presence makes an impact, they will keep doing what they are doing next year. And then hopefully more people will be in a better position as a result.

Just thinking out loud about who this might include:

A friend that checks in with you regularly.

The security guards at the gate that greet you with a joke and a smile every time you drive past.

Your parents that do their best to set you up for success.

The clients that support your business.

Your romantic partner that looks past your idiosyncrasies and loves you despite your questionable taste in music.

A manager or co-worker that takes an interest in you as a person, not just a worker.

A teacher or coach that believes in your ability to realize your latent potential.

You know, those people that make you feel like you’re not in this alone. They matter greatly. And they should know it! Hearing about the impact they’ve had on you might be the highlight of their year, so don’t hold back.

Here’s to hoping the Springboks hold nothing back against England tomorrow!

As we say every week, thank you for taking the time to read what we have on our minds. If there is anyone you think could benefit from it, please share with them and encourage them to subscribe.

See you in December!

At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.