WordFood

At a regional meeting of BNSF Railways in Albuquerque last week, I was delivering leadership programs to managers and supervisors. These big tough men and seasoned women play with very large trains in a challenging environment, and many of them come from the military. The railroad isn’t a job, it’s lifestyle. For many of them it’s been handed down through many generations.
During the program their General Manager told the story about how there were some serious losses at one point in the company’s history, and BNSF had to take a careful look at why. When all was said and done, BNSF realized that the men in Winslow Arizona needed feedback, attention and interaction with supervisors. When that was taken care of, the problem went away.
Even the toughest, roughest of us need to know we are valued and recognized. These courageous, brave and smart people who take care of America’s railroads are some of the biggest men and strongest women you’ll ever meet. But they too will blush and become shy and appreciative with a genuine compliment and kind word from a boss or a coworker. They too need to hear that they’ve done a job well or that their long hard days are making a difference out there in America’s hinterlands.
Daryl Ness, the General Manager, said to his people not to ignore the employee who says, “leave me alone.” That’s often code for “pay attention to me.” He’s spot on. This is the red flag for “I need encouragement.” Provide WordFood of acknowledgement: a job well done, notice the small things, ask about their day. It will make all the difference.