Here & There Column 7-5-11

Ms. Sharon Gibson McGinnis

Take Time To Appreciate Others

Livingston Manor Central School (LMCS) 1987 graduate Ms. Sharon Gibson McGinnis in her guest speaker remarks at the June 25 LMCS Commencement Program emphasized the important fact that the most successful people she knows take the "time to show they care about and appreciate others."
In bringing forth the importance of this statement she told the story of a management-training program at a company she once worked for where there were 10 pretty smart, eager, fresh-out-of-college employees that were invited to participate in this program.
Sharon pointed out that these trainees were identified as the best and brightest the company had to offer and would likely be future leaders as they went through months of intense training to prepare for leadership roles.
Toward the end of the program, a huge management opportunity came up......this was the chance the group were all waiting for.
Ms. McGinnis noted that the president of the company was going to be the one who would decide which trainee would be selected for the assignment.
Rather than looking at the past test scores of the group or reviewing their resumes, the company president came into the training room, asked each of the trainees to take out a piece or paper and asked them one question, "what is the name of the woman who cleans the offices each night?"
Apparently at first they all thought he was joking but when they realized he wasn't joking they panicked.
Sharon said "all but one sat there, frozen, while one woman put pen to paper, wrote down the name, "Marion" and handed her answer to the President who smiled."
One of the other trainees expressed to the president that she was very upset and told the president the test was unfair, that it had nothing to do with the training they were going through to become future leaders.
The president, according to Ms. McGinnis, told the group, " you will meet many people in your careers," and "all of them are significant," and "they deserve your attention, even if all you do is look them in the eye, smile and say hello."
Later that day the long trainee who answered the question and who know that Marion was the name of the person who cleaned the offices each night, was offered the job and that person was Sharon Gibson McGinnis.
The importance of taking the time to show they care and appreciate others has certainly proven to be successful for Sharon who graduated salutatorian from her 1987 LMCS class, graduated cum laude with a BS in Business Administration from SUNY New Paltz and now works as the Director of Human Resources for Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation in Poughkeepsie.
Lesson learned here is that everyone should take the time to show they care and appreciate others.........it will truly make a better world for all.