Thoughtfulness

I work for a huge professional membership organization.  I don't write about my work, but we are one of the worlds largest voluntary professional membership organizations.  We have two primary offices, Chicago with about 750 staff and Washington DC with about 250 staff.  We have nearly 400,000 members. (Now if you do a Google search you can probably figure out who I work for.)

When I was in the hospital back in early May, getting ready for surgery, I received an email from the Executive Director wishing me well.  I was moved, it was a very thoughtful and personal message from a very busy person, he oversees a staff of nearly 1,000 and we have nearly 400,000 members who believe that he works for each and every one of them.  This morning I was working in my office and I hear a knock at my door and and "Good Morning David. It is so good to see you back at your desk, I hope you are feeling better."  It was the Executive Director, stopping by for a short and very pleasant exchange.  Again, I was touched.  I like this guy - he cares about all of us.  He can't solve all of the challenges, but I really think he cares.

This is not the first time I have had an Executive Director pop into my office, my fist day on the job, December 15th, 2008, the soon to be X executive director popped into my office and thanked me for all of the hard work I had done for the organization that year, yes - all 5 hours of it at that point. He didn't have a clue who I was, nor I who he was - his thanks rang hollow and fake. He didn't last long.