Caught in a rush of deadlines and projects, the conferences and the appraisals, every day is a struggle at work, and every sent document a sigh of relief. We are often so caught up in our busy work lives that we forget people who work tirelessly, round the clock, putting in longer hours than us and surely receiving lesser incentives than us, to make our jobs easier. Would we be able to spend a day at work without coffee? Doesn’t all hell break loose when there is no Wi-Fi even for a few minutes? God help us if the IT guy chose to take a leave on the very same day! This post is about 5 such people at work, who are definitely way more important than we give them credit for! It is a reminder for all of us that it is nice to be important, but it is MORE important to be nice.

1. The Security Guard

The keeper of the gates indeed! If you think your job is tiring, think about this guy’s job. Getting up every second minute to open the doors to someone, and a part of his job description is also to greet appropriately. Many of us don’t even acknowledge the greeting by as much as making eye contact, let alone returning it verbally. When you smile to acknowledge his greeting, you give him the confidence that he is doing his job well. Doesn’t everyone deserve that? 🙂

2. The “IT Guy”

One of the most important people ever. Virus attacks, problems of the technologically challenged, router fixing – without him, things would come to a grinding halt for sure. We all want our IT problems solved, and we want them to be solved quickly. In that rhythm, we might end up being unintentionally rude to the person who is doing his best to help us. Remember that being polite and courteous will always help you get your work done. Perks of being a nice, polite person!

3. The Cafeteria Staff

Even if the food is horrible, they didn’t cook it. So save the dirty looks and the rude comments for someone who might actually be responsible. Remember that they don’t even get to sit while they work.

4. The Office Boy

Again, one of the most important people. If you are the kind who cannot function without tea or coffee at regular intervals, you better be nice to this person. Don’t forget that this resourceful person actually saves you a lot of other errands as well, so that you can concentrate on your work.

5. The Photocopy In-Charge

In our hurry to get the photocopies, we actually forget at times that the person doing it for us is a human being and not a machine himself! We are going to repeat what we said earlier – “Remember that being polite and courteous will always help you get your work done. Perks of being a nice, polite person!”

Gratitude is an attitude that will truly take you a long way. It is easy to ignore or take for granted people we assume will always be there, or people we assume are not important. It is these small, yet meaningful gestures which define us as individuals, which make us human. So, no matter how busy you are, how stressed you are, remember to acknowledge the people who serve you tirelessly throughout the day, it can’t be that hard to just smile now, can it? 🙂