One of my favorite things to do this time of year is watch football, and this past Sunday the Eagles played the Falcons in Atlanta which was positioned by the media as a morality play featuring Michael Vick.
As I was watching the pregame show, studio analyst Tony Dungy gave his overview of the game. Dungy is a retired NFL head coach who won the Super Bowl in 2007 with the Indianapolis Colts. All told, he spent 12 years as a head coach in the NFL, making the playoffs a record ten times in a row. He’s known best for his quiet demeanor and a coaching philosophy that encourages teaching and supporting his players, rather than screaming at or belittling them. He is known as a “good guy,” but it was his part of this past Sunday’s mortality play that the casual fan didn’t appreciate.
You see, he had a leading role in the rehabilitation of Michael Vick when he was released from prison. Watching him reminded me of what he was credited with saying to Vick: “Integrity is what you do when no one is watching; it’s doing the right thing all the time.”
Now some could never forgive Vick, and I’m not going to get into that now. But I think that there is a lesson in Tony Dungy’s approach to life. The real person you are is revealed in the moments when no one is watching and you’re not attempting to impress anyone. Your true nature comes out when you’re just being yourself and doing the right thing. I’ve stressed to my kids that in moments when no one is watching is how you conduct yourself with integrity.
This same idea is ingrained in a lot of our people at ARAMARK. I’m always impressed by the stories I hear about the great things ARAMARK employees are doing every day – often when no one is looking. Sometimes it’s just a small gesture on a random day that only affects one person – but makes a huge difference.
At the San Martin campus of St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, NV, Environmental Services (EVS) Director Robert Stewart took it upon himself to help a patient who most people might not give a second thought. As a result, Robert was honored as the hospital’s Star Performer for August, which is a monthly employee recognition that is voted on by San Martin’s case managers. Even more impressive, according Hospital President Rod Davis, this behavior is pretty typical from Robert.
Joni Kurata, a Licensed Social Worker at San Martin, told us about a homeless patient who came in with chest pain. Obviously, he wasn’t in the best condition, and his clothes – the only clothes he owned – were extremely dirty. Robert overheard several individuals discussing the patient during the daily bed placement meeting.
Just to provide some background, ARAMARK’s EVS directors handle a number of tasks, including managing the cleaning and housekeeping services, maintenance, and waste disposal, all while using environmentally conscious processes and equipment. While the work our EVS group handles does affect patient safety, comfort, and confidence, they aren’t directly responsible for patient well-being.
Well, except in this case.
While the patient was receiving tests, Robert went and personally found the patient’s clothing, pretreated the stains, and ran them through the washing machine and dryer, having them back to the patient within a couple hours. The patient was extremely grateful and the entire staff appreciated his unsolicited effort. “I could tell he (Robert) was really busy that day, but he still went out of his way to help,” said Joni. “I am so impressed by ARAMARK’s staff and their willingness to help, no matter what the circumstance.”
“What can I say other than Robert does a fantastic job?” mused GM Lee Timothy. “He always takes ownership, steps in, takes initiative, and makes things happen.”
He makes things happen. Even going so far as to tackle what clearly wasn’t an enjoyable task, when no one was watching. Robert went out of his way to ensure that this patient’s stay would be as pleasant and comfortable as possible. Employees like Robert Stewart are our unsung heroes, and they are who make us successful.
