What is your job? Have you ever really considered that? I don’t mean the tasks you do every day, but something larger. Solving problems, sharing insights, helping others see the possibilities… Those are all acts of service and the very things that keep me coming back day after day. It’s so much more than a job. As each day unfolds and you go about your tasks, how would it change if you simply stopped for a minute and considered the acts of service you are providing your clients?
Merriam-Webster defines job (noun) as something that has to be done. According to Dictionary.com, a job is anything a person is expected or obliged to do; duty; responsibility. That’s pretty mundane. Service, on the other hand, is defined as an act of helpful activity; help; aid. What if we approached the work we do each day as acts of service instead of just doing our jobs? Shifting my own thinking has given me the energy and zeal to live out my days with purpose.
Patrick Lencioni’s book Getting Naked has renewed my enthusiasm, for I had begun to focus on tasks once again. The book has helped me to connect the dots back to our foundation of We & Service in building the Wise Firm. I am reenergized and committed to serving with transparency and vulnerability. What a game changer for us as a firm!
My mother reflects beautifully on my father as “making the ordinary special, every day.” In everything he did, he served those around him—his clients, his family, and even strangers. I want to be like him and live out each day with the heart of a servant. I’m thankful for a legacy of service in my family and a firm that believes in the same driving principles. Will you consider tomorrow as a new day to serve, not just another day on the job? It really is a simple mind-shift towards results and not tasks. That is what our clients want, need and deserve from us!
Marsha Dieckman is a big picture thinker who also happens to be really good at details—a powerful combination that is only outweighed by her servant’s heart. Her willingness to ask hard questions, try new things and challenge old ways of thinking is pushing our firm forward.