I was riding to work this week and my Lyft driver mentioned that people in Texas are so different than people in NYC. He’d recently relocated here with his family and was shocked at how hospitable and nicer Southern people are. We talked about how he and his wife were blessed with an introduction to one of the best OBGYNs in the city by one of the hospital chairs who just so happened to be one of his passengers. We also talked about how the simplest gesture can go along way. It got me thinking about the post I shared last winter featuring 10 RAOK ideas with you guys and I wanted to share a few more office themed ones with y’all today.
Treat a stranger to breakfast – I stopped into Shipleys the other morning on my way into work after my vacation and bought breakfast for the office. That right there would’ve been more than enough, but there was a pregnant nurse who joined me in line and after we bonded over how good Shipleys’ kolaches were I decided to buy her breakfast too! She was shocked and continued to reach for her wallet, but I insisted and encouraged her to pay it forward. Her breakfast didn’t cost a lot, but my treat brightened her day.
Hold a door open – This might come as second nature to us Southerners, but it goes a LONG way to those visiting from out of town. I do this quite a bit at work, and even hold open elevator doors when I see someone rushing to make it in before they close. I know the struggle of running a bit late and having to wait another few minutes to take an elevator up 20+ flights will make you even later. People are always grateful when you do this and it’s a free gesture that will make someone smile.
5 great ways to perform a #RAOK at work. Share on X
Volunteer to take something off of someone’s plate – Now I’m not talking about their literal food plate, but if you have the bandwidth and see someone struggling why not volunteer to complete one of their “to-do” list items for them? This is one I do quite often at work and it’s beneficial for both parties. It’s one less thing for them to do and you earn brownie points.
Start the coffee – I don’t know about y’all, but I’m typically the first person in the office. Now one of my job duties isn’t to make coffee, but some mornings I get the pots brewing. I might still pop down to our on-site Starbucks for my iced Americano, but just knowing that my co-workers will have fresh coffee when they get in brings a smile to my face. Bonus points for the office then smelling like fresh coffee.
Go that extra mile – This can be something as a small as walking someone through a process step-by-step over the phone instead of just sending them an email with the instructions, or as big as taking the time out of your day to hand-deliver something to someone a few floors/buildings away instead of telling them to come pick it up from you. They’ll thank you with a smile and your fitness tracker will thank you by adding those extra steps to your daily log. Another win-win for everyone!
The great thing about ROAKs in the office is that they’re often mutually beneficial and often don’t cost much or anything at all. I want to encourage y’all to do something nice for someone this week, give a little more than you usually do because what you put out into the world is what you get back. Comment below or tweet me and let me know your favorite office ROAKs.