By Willie Spears, Guest Columnist
I recently went to speak at the school where my dad used to work. When the staff worker at the front desk heard someone say, “Willie Spears is here,” I saw her excitement. She had her head down, and she was working at the front desk. I was on the other side, and through the glass, I could see her excitement.
As I walked around to the front where her desk was, she looked up with great anticipation, but her face quickly changed to that of disappointment. She was visibly upset when she realized I was not the Willie Spears she had hoped to see.
My father, Willie Spears, Sr., used to be the custodian at this school. He was only there for a few years, but several teachers cried when he retired. After being retired for a few months, they asked him to come back, and a year later, he was included in a second retirement ceremony. When he retired, they showered him with gift cards and cake. Part of me believes he went back and retired a second time to receive more gift cards and cake.
When I spoke to their faculty and staff, I mentioned my father was the school custodian, and two teachers blurted out the words, “He was so much more than a custodian.”
What a legacy!
Are you so much more? My daughter is a server at Dave and Busters. I wonder if she is so much more. My son also works there as host. I wonder if he is so much more. I know my wife is so much more than a counselor at her job and so much more than a wife and mother at home, but I wonder if I am so much more. I don’t know about you, but I want to be so much more.
When I speak at a school, business, church or organization, I try to be so much more than a speaker. I arrive early and stay late. I try to talk to every person one-on-one if possible.
I often help set up and take down depending on the venue. I exchange information for future communication with the goal of adding value to everyone in attendance.
Our world needs us all to be so much more. Don’t you like it when your customer service is so much more than you expected? Doesn’t it make you smile when the doctor, nurse, police officer or politician does so much more than required? Picture a world where you ask your child to clean their room and they do so much more by cleaning the bathroom, too.
I encourage you to be like my dad. Be so much more!
“Now Hiring” is a weekly article written by author and public speaker Willie Spears, a Northwestern alumnus. He has written 13 books and travels around the country, adding value to the lives of others through his books and dynamic presentations. Learn more at www.williespears.com.