The art of simple gestures

Dayana Fernandez
Aug 28, 2017 · 3 min read

I have been at HubSpot all of 4 months and every day like everybody else here I learn something new. Every day I learn about new product developments in the Inbound Marketing industry along with that I also learn more about people, interactions and different cultures within the organisation.

But today of all the other days I learnt something new about simple thoughtful gestures and how they can make a difference. Like any other Monday, I am sure some of us brought some of the Monday blues with us while heading to work. But little did anyone know about the lovely surprise that awaited us when we entered the office. The walls of the office had been redone and HEART chalked all over them.

It was amazing to see the walls depicting the values that everyone lives by at HubSpot. As cheesy as it may sound, we refer to it as HEART.

HEART: Humble . Empathetic . Adaptable . Remarkable . Transparent.

It was lovely to see how it created a positive buzz in everybody right at the start of a Monday morning. The simple gesture of a few people coming together to put together this surprise over the weekend for everyone spoke volumes about the selfless culture. The beauty of this kind gesture was that they didn’t limit it to themselves alone. Instead they left it with a heart full of post-its for us to fill in our thoughts. Thoughts which were either to acknowledge someone for their contribution at work or even to scribble something to inspire one another.

The ripple effect of this initiative was being experienced across the floors. People’s day brightened up with the anonymous compliments they received or the thoughts shared by others. This definitely brought in a positive energy to the office. After all who doesn’t like a a pat on the back. But this initiative proved that both the giver and receiver experience the same joy. Like Anne Frank once said, “Whoever is happy will make others happy too”.

This made me think how it takes only a few to start something positive. And how the infectious goodness of it all travels way beyond the seams of the organization. How even something like a small gesture can help make a BIG difference in the long run. It not only made everyone smile with joy for the praise received, but it also motivated the rest to want to follow their line. Or at the least it made the Monday anything but blue. Before you knew it, there was a sense of pride, joined by a sense of belonging to the same community.

I leave you with this thought from a wise little girl again, something for each one of us to ponder upon:

“How wonderful is it that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve THE WORLD” — Anne Frank

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