The Continuing Adventures of Just a Waiter - MADE cards

Even though I am no longer a waiter at HG, I am going to continue under this title because I like it.  And, who knows, I may end up back in the dining room some day.  It has happened before so who's to say it won't happen again.  Hopefully it won't, just so that I can continue to move forward and upwards at work.  That is the plan, anyhow.

We have these things at work called MADE cards.  Its name comes from our motto Making a Difference Everyday.  I get to say that about 50 times a day whenever I answer the phone at work...woohoo LOL  Anyway, the MADE cards are for employees.  People can fill out a card for an employee if they see them doing something special, going beyond the duties of their jobs to make someone's day better.  It can be something they've done for another employee or a resident or just something for HG itself.  Points are assigned to each card every month and each point is worth one dollar.  So, after you rack up so many points, you will get a little something extra on your check.  Basically, it is free money for doing something for someone else.  I can live with that.

I, personally, need to be better about writing out MADE cards.  I do not do it nearly enough, even though I see things all of the time that warrant a card.  I have to keep reminding myself that writing MADE cards is about giving, not receiving.  I don't get that many cards, which is fine.  That's not why I do what I do.  So, I don't want to get into that trap of "well, they didn't write a card for me when I did something....etc".  It's an easy trap to fall into.  When I do get them, though, it's very special because someone noticed.  One of my favorite ones was from one of my favorite residents that she wrote to me on the day she died.  It was simply thanking me for being nice to everyone in the dining room at assisted living.  I kept that one.

Saying "Making a Difference Everyday" isn't just repeating our motto. It is truly the core of what our company is about.  Now, that doesn't happen all of the time.  That is simply human nature.  Not everyday is going to be perfect, but we should be doing whatever we can to make it better.  That is what we stand for.  When it comes down to it, if each associate does not have a reason to write out a MADE card each day, then we are not doing the job we should be doing.  We are not doing the job I know that each and every one of us is capable of doing.  We can make a difference, even in the smallest areas of daily life.

That is all