Continuing to Find Passion for our Work
For many of us, this time of year leaves us wondering, “Where did the time go?”
I find myself reflecting on that question when I am reminded that it has already been 12 years since the launch of UG2 — and a remarkable 45 years since I personally began my career in facility services.
I don’t know how common it is for someone to still have a passion for what they do after more than four decades of hard work, but I am being truthful when I say that I wake up every morning excited for the day ahead. Some might say I am lucky, but there is much more than luck involved.
When people ask me what keeps me genuinely happy to be working in this industry, and doing it specifically with UG2, a few things come to mind.
I am grateful for:
Being challenged every day in the best possible way. At UG2, culture and community are everything. Our tremendous growth in different markets and geographies means that I am challenged continuously to make sure every person who joins our company understands our culture and feels that they are important members of our UG2 family. Regardless of where they are in the company and the country, how can we successfully communicate our values to them? How can we make them feel that they’re empowered, that they have a voice and unique contributions to make for our customers? It is my challenge, and all of ours, to preserve, promote and celebrate the core values that have brought us such success.
Witnessing people grow and excel as they take care of our customers. Throughout my years in facility services I have witnessed and experienced many situations that were difficult in the moment but that ultimately allowed me to be part of solving a problem, and that is a powerful feeling. It is even more rewarding to watch the next generation experience this for themselves. We have committed to developing our future leaders, and we invest in them fully with all the training and mentoring they need, whether it’s someone who recently took on new responsibilities after earning a promotion, or a young person fulfilling their apprenticeship requirements through one of our sponsored programs. Seeing those individuals grow in their ability to step up and solve problems and support our teams and our customers is very gratifying.
Benefitting from relationships that get stronger with time. When I think about the people I share this work with, I am grateful to have had the chance to walk alongside them and build what I believe are lifetime relationships centered on trust. The moments when we struggle or encounter difficulties, we find solutions when we bring it back to the people — the people who drive our work, the people who remind us to be true to our values, the people who continue to press us forward. And it doesn’t always require time to develop strong bonds — the experience you gain building true connections over time helps you reach a place where you know how to create more meaningful ones from the outset.
Whatever your place in this ever-growing family that is UG2, please know that I am grateful for what you bring to the table. We are fortunate to always be learning from one another, and I promise to do my part as we cultivate a place where that dynamic grows along with us.