It was NOT a good time to be at work.

I was working for a terrible manager on a massive server relocation. I had worked hard on a step-by-step plan to shut down the entire 250-server VM environment for the move in an orderly fashion. That plan was scuttled on the day of execution because it wasn’t “fast enough”. Once everything was relocated, the turn-up plan was also not fast enough. I was considering leaving on short notice due to the lack of professionalism from leadership.

After a much-deserved weekend off, I returned to the office, armoring myself for the week ahead. Much to my surprise, I was approached by a co-worker that worked with another team on the migration. My stress level was apparent, and he saw it. He gave me a customized “Certificate of Achievement” that praised my hard work on the migration, and officially declared me “The Man”. It meant a lot to me, and even though it’s just a black-and-white print, wrinkled and faded, I intend to keep it for a long time. I have to: it’s official!

If you see a co-worker suffering, or just trying to keep their head above water, you probably can’t fix their problems. But, with the right kind of eyes and a bit of empathy, you might make their day a little brighter. Always be kind.