Ms. Williams at Window #4

How would you feel if you worked at the US post office?

The business is in crisis. Employees protest understaffing and abuse. The phrase “going postal” has come to mean “becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment.” 

Customers aren’t happy either. A pithy review summed it up: 

“I would give zero stars if I could. “

So when I entered the post office on Church Street, I braced myself. Standing in the long line, I could sense the impatience and hostility around me. I could hear the frustration in the workers’s voices as they screamed, “Next!!!”

But when it was my turn and I approached window #4, I was greeted with a smile. 

Ms. Williams (I noticed her name tag) helped me ship two packages, She politely explained the different options, carefully checked the labels, and pointed out the tracking number on the receipt. She even hummed a tune as she worked. When I joked that the long line could benefit from her entertainment, she said, “That’s not gonna happen,” and we both laughed. 

We wished each other “Happy holidays” and I thanked her and left. I noticed I was humming a tune on my way out.

So what?

Well, the US post office has almost 600,000 human beings working there. And on average they may come into contact with dozens of customers or colleagues every day. 

What if more of those 600,000 employees were like Ms. Williams? What kind of difference would that make?

Now I can only imagine how difficult it must be to work at the post office. And I’m not suggesting employees should grin and bear whatever circumstances they are in. But what was obvious to me that day was that Ms. Williams made a choice to make the most of her circumstances. 

She chose to smile. She chose to be helpful. She chose to be friendly. And those choices, those actions, influenced the moods and behaviors of customers and colleagues, just as she influenced mine. 

For each of us, in whatever job we have, there is still freedom to make certain choices, to experience the power of self-determination, and to unleash positive energy rather than the opposite. 

With this post I want to celebrate Ms. Williams. And with Working Out Loud I want to help more employees know, as she does, that they have a choice. That they can make a positive difference in their own lives and all those around them.