Superintendent Uwe Kiss
Several years ago, Superintendent Uwe Kiss was supporting a joint venture when a young woman working as an assistant project manager told him about Acts of Caring. The idea was, if you take a moment to show an interest in your co-workers’ lives and connect with them on a personal level, it actually improves performance on the job.
“I’ve always believed in treating people the way I wanted to be treated,” Uwe recalled. “So, after 20 years in the industry, I said I’ll give it a try.” Over the next month, Uwe got to know more about everyone on his site and – perhaps to his surprise – he saw results. “There was overall progress on the job. Motivation was higher. People were excited to come to work,” he said.
Since then, Uwe has made it a point to know the names of every crew member on his jobs and learn what trade they are in… sometimes taking notes to help remember details. He also started making it a practice to send flowers for those welcoming a new baby. When people weren’t having as many babies, he started recognizing weddings as well.
Uwe found that the gestures created lasting friendships, as well as enhancing the atmosphere at work. “One of the first guys I sent flowers to was an electrician foreman. He was totally shocked that I sent him and his family flowers,” Uwe noted. “He even showed up on site with a thank-you card and a picture of the baby. That baby’s almost five now and we still keep in touch.”
That connection is pretty typical. Uwe and his wife, who helps in purchasing the flowers, continue to hear from many recipients long after projects are complete. “We get pictures. We get to see the kids grow up,” he said.
Given the benefits, Uwe has continued his Acts of Kindness – even on big jobs. Today, he is working at the Mohawk Harbor Events Center in Schenectady, which has more than 200 workers involved and more than 60 on site any given day. Still, he has taken the time to learn their names and a little about their lives. He has also found that asking a simple “how would you do this?” gets them excited to share their expertise and drive solutions.
Having seen first-hand the power of making personal connections, Uwe hopes his experience will help spread more Acts of Caring – prompting others to stop and say, ‘I’ll give it a try.’ As he will tell you, you get more back than you give.
