Sodexo at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center: An inspirational story- A"Lahey Moment"

Have you ever had a day when you need a little push? A little inspiration? Not that you are having a bad day,but maybe you just need something to inspire you, and to bring the best out in you.

I often have moments like this- the creative side of my brain is blocked where I will be staring at my computer screen for a long time. When moments like this happen, I know I need to find my inspiration. At work, I often find my inspiration by simply walking around my work area, talking to colleagues and patients. Often times, I spend less than 10 minutes but I get inspired by each and every special moment and I become more creative. It often helps to stop and "smell the roses". To appreciate things that are around us, "moments" that might be missed because our minds are too immersed with work or issues at hand. Work and deadlines are important, but many opportunities are missed if we walk too fast,if we stop looking. It's important to take time to inspire others, to stop and say hello,to give a smile and to acknowledge others. I believe a good leader is not one that does everything. A good leader is one that inspires others and leads others to do the right thing,one that sets the mood for the organization. Imagine if we had a leader that never smiled, yet the mission of the company is "Providing the best customer service". I bet it would fail.

As I was looking for ideas to write an article for the blog this week, I had my writer's block. So, I walked around my work area looking for inspiration. Friendly faces greeted me. A "hello!" or a "hi!" never ceased to greet me. Some even stopped to give me a hug. My mood became lifted and at this point, I witnessed a beautiful scene- Maria Petkiewich, a Jazzman's worker said, "Come give me a Lahey moment" to two of our colleagues in the cafeteria. So, I asked Maria, what she meant by "Lahey Moment"? Maria looked puzzled and asked me to repeat the question. Than she said "well....'Lahey Moment' to me means Love, Respect and Friendship. That's how I feel each day when I come work at Lahey". I couldn't stop smiling, her explanation inspired me and unlocked my writer's block :). I went further to ask her who came up with "Lahey Moment". She pointed to Heather Dinitto, cashier, who has been working at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center for the past 18 years. She lives near Cape Cod and drives 1-2 hours each way to work. When I asked Heather how did she come up with "Lahey Moment",she said it's easy. "A'Lahey moment' happens anytime when you have any special moment. Just by walking in and out of Lahey itself is a special moment as she gets to see everybody and she loves 'her' customers". When I asked Jason Surette, Food Service worker if he knew what a "Lahey Moment" was?. He nodded and says "A 'Lahey moment' happens when the customer and the colleague who is helping the customer are both satisfied. It works both ways. A satisfied customer makes us happy and that is a 'Lahey moment'. It happens a lot at Lahey". When I asked Jason, how long has he worked at the Hospital, he answered,that he has worked here for 6 years and was never out of work for a day! Another colleague who heard our conversation stopped me in the hallway and wanted me to know what a great guy Jason is. That's for me is another example of "Lahey Moment". As I headed my way back to my office, Douglas Filosa, Retail Operations Manager yelled out" Hi Cassandra. How are you?" with a big huge smile even though his hands were full and I knew he was rushing to deliver a catered event. Yet another "Lahey moment".

I am blessed to work with great people at the hospital that inspire me and love what they do. We are truly lucky to be part of this amazing team. At Sodexo at Lahey, we believe in "Making everyday a better day for all those we serve.."

“Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vintage point.”
- Harold B Melchart