#212 towering achievement

As one of my staff members reflected on the year, she described it as "gray".  "Nothing really big happened," she said.  

But when I looked at her year, I saw a collection of little wins: process improvements, staff training gains, outreach efforts, a record of accuracy and service, etc.  I feared that if she did not take satisfaction in these achievements her staff would not see their significance either, setting everyone up for a "gray" year next year.

The analogy I used to describe this to her was that she had a bunch of little boxes.  Her job as a manager was to tie a ribbon around them and make them into an impressive tower of gifts.  Big wins don't need to come in big chunks or be a silver bullet.  Small, continuous improvements can add up to produce significant benefits as well.

-- beth triplett
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