Being Happy at Work

It is a joy seeing people happy at work, at what they do. In the field of hospitality, many examples abound and I find such positive mood very infectious, even if I was just an observer at a distance.

At Dusit Hotel Bangkok, the waiter Ton at the buffet breakfast was always energetic with a ready smile. He asked after each and every guest in an earnest manner, even when some of them did not even respond or acknowledge. Ton kept up with his genuine smile as he led them to the assigned seats. I noticed how after delivering the hot beverages to the tables,

After delivering the hot beverages, he offered his name and welcomed guests to let him know if there were any other matters he could assist with. The amazing thing was he did it every single time without fail. (I had stayed there for five days and marvelled at his consistency with everyone.)

At Constance Le Prince Maurice one breezy afternoon, Vikesh at the bar greeted me in an upbeat manner and put me in the holiday mood right away. As we chatted away later on, I commented that he was in a very good mood. He gestured in an exaggerated manner with his open arms, “Look at this! Beautiful view, nice colleagues, great place to be working at – how can I not be happy?” Simply precious.

Yet another time at Les Bories hotel and Spa in Provence, as we lounged by the poolside, we saw the porter Jerome climbing up and down the flight of wide stairs, carrying chairs to set up a private event outdoor. The following day as we were checking out and encountered him again, we thanked him for his help with the luggage and remarked that he was working extra hard yesterday with all the carrying of chairs. Spontaneously, Jerome said jovially, “You know, I am so lucky – other people pay to go for gym membership, and here, I get paid to work out!” How awesome is that?

Service Bank: 💖💖💖 (for each of the above)

Reflective thoughts: How do you feel as you read the above anecdotes? Look around you today – are the people happy at work? If someone else was observing you or your team, what would they see?