In many businesses, there are team members who do what is commonly referred to as ‘grunt’ work or ‘running the numbers.’ When a presentation is being assembled, those same people often remain anonymous and the role they’ve played - helping the firm win new business, or service an existing client - gets lost.
In the buildings where you live or work, these ‘behind the scenes’ folks include the management and maintenance teams who make buildings run smoothly and provide security for our safety. When speaking of investment opportunities it’s the analysts and research people who are the ‘unsung heroes’. While the Executive Chef created the recipe for the yummy meal at your favorite restaurant, it’s quite likely the sous chef, and other kitchen staff, who make the magic happen. But they rarely receive appreciation directly from the customer.
It’s also like that in the music business. While the songwriter’s name may appear next to the song title, many times people just assume that the performer is also the songwriter. This is not always true.
I saw ‘Beautiful’ on Broadway this week, a fabulous musical based on the life of Carole King. Many of you know Carole from her career as a singer. But maybe you didn’t know that Carole began as a songwriter; she and her former husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote some of the most popular and memorable songs in rock and roll history. Carole was not actually in front of the audience until later. ‘Tapestry’, her first album as singer/songwriter, is one of the best-selling albums of all time!
The day after seeing the show I thought of all the people behind the ‘curtain’. We’re generally not able to go backstage and thank the stagehands, or go into the orchestra pit to tell the musicians how much we enjoyed the show. At live theatre and musical performances, the applause of the audience is really for everyone involved – and the performers many times are gracious in recognizing the ‘team.’ In most situations - even if we wanted to thank someone ‘behind the scenes’ - we don’t actually have direct access to them.
In all walks of life there are those who are in the background… the support functions. These folks do a lot of the work involved in delivering a product or service to the ultimate user, but remain basically invisible. Many people don’t know who wrote the song – they just know who sings it.
Human beings, all of us, have the need to feel appreciated. A thank you. A pat on the back. A phone call. Being taken out for lunch… Showing appreciation doesn’t take all that much effort - and it really means a lot to the person on the other end.
There’s always an opportunity to show appreciation to someone ‘behind the scenes.’ Try to find a way to do it. You’ll be making a difference in someone’s life and, I guarantee, you’ll feel better for doing it.
Congratulations
Damien Isabella, now Managing Director at TVO Groupe.
Alyson Barnes, vice president at Prudential Real Estate Investors.
Happy Birthday Kev!
On The Road...
May 2 - 6: Family visit, Asheville, NC
May 16: Annual meeting of The Hoyt Fellows, North Palm Beach, FL
May 28 - 29: Client meetings, Chicago, IL
June 12 - 13: IMN's 15th Annual US Real Estate Opportunity and Private Fund Investing Forum, New York, NY
June 16 - 19: Annual Conference of The National Association of Real Estate Companies, Charleston, SC
Congratulations
Damien Isabella, now Managing Director at TVO Groupe.
Alyson Barnes, vice president at Prudential Real Estate Investors.
Happy Birthday Kev!
On The Road...
May 2 - 6: Family visit, Asheville, NC
May 16: Annual meeting of The Hoyt Fellows, North Palm Beach, FL
May 28 - 29: Client meetings, Chicago, IL
June 12 - 13: IMN's 15th Annual US Real Estate Opportunity and Private Fund Investing Forum, New York, NY
June 16 - 19: Annual Conference of The National Association of Real Estate Companies, Charleston, SC
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