What are 5 things about work you’re thankful for, and why?
I wanted to take this opportunity and “go first,” listing things I’m thankful for and why about my work.
- What we do.
- My team.
- Our workforce.
- Leadership
- Our building and location (even the parking lot)
What We Do:
Our organization defends this nation every day. This is my 4th career, and – other than parenting my children – this is the most “important” work I’ve ever done. I enjoy working with the men and women who directly defend this nation in all branches of the military. My fellow government civilians are dedicated to public service, and many of them have spent decades in service to this nation.
My Team:
In Workforce Development, we strategically use our resources to provide development opportunities and career services to an incredibly diverse group of people. Each member of the team is committed to fully applying their skills and attention to the workforce, getting to know each individual and providing them with information customized to their needs to benefit their career. It seems every member of my team is working in their specific calling, and the synergy of it is simply miraculous.
Our Workforce:
We have a diverse workforce of thousands of individuals, connected by our mission and in service of our nation. Through our doors every day come people from every part of the nation, from various socioeconomic backgrounds, from different races and ethnicity, of differing generations (5 gens where I work), all with needs and hopes and dreams and expectations. We walk into our building with all our differences and work together in our common mission, building camaraderie and a common work culture. In corporate America, not everyone gets to experience this level of diversity and watch how it can function beautifully. I get to see this every day, and I get to talk about diversity, equality, and inclusion from the perspective of participating in an inclusive culture that works incredibly well. This is my privilege, and I am so thankful for it.
Our Leadership:
I am thankful for our leaders at work. They each have difficult work with complexities beyond comprehension. Our leaders work with extremely limited resources, trying to accomplish as much as they possibly can before their next assignment begins. They are dedicated, and they come in and do the work every day. Most of them spend time in leadership development activities and participate in mentoring and other forms of “giving back to the workforce.” They take all the blame for problems and rarely get any praise when things go well. It is my privilege to work in Leader Development, where we provide enriching and engaging experiences for our leaders and work with them building and improving our dynamic work culture.
Our Building and Location:
I am thankful to walk into a beautiful, clean, and welcoming building every day. I enjoy greeting people on my long, long, long walk in from the parking lot (SO MANY steps on my FitBit!), passing by beautiful, well-kept landscaping features and listening to happy songbirds. When I get to my desk, I have a comfortable chair, ample computer equipment and internet access, plenty of storage and office supplies, and access to kitchen equipment to store and warm my food and coffee. My workplace is located in the South, where there are seasons (I lived in Hawaii for 6 years, and I’m glad to have change of seasons again), and temperatures are hot in the summer and fairly mild in the winter. I am very thankful to be close to my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, only a quick 4-hour drive from Augusta, Georgia. The cost of living in this part of Georgia is very attractive, and there are beautiful homes and great schools.
So, there are five of the things for which I am thankful about my workplace. What are yours?