The Recognizers
The Gift of Recognition
The Untapped Potential
The storeroom was what I called home at the historic chemical company I worked in for nine years. The sweet smell of animal fat was so normal to me I hardly even noticed it.
I moved into this role three years earlier after deciding to return to school for my MBA. It paid less, but I viewed it as a strategic step towards where I wanted to go.
My plan did not work out as quickly as I expected.
Every role I applied for after joining the storeroom led to rejection. I figured my company experience, positive recommendations, and my education level qualified me for these roles already, even though I had not yet finished the degree.
The consistent rejection was hard to digest. It was confusing. I did not understand how my loyalty and success there resulted in such hesitation and doubt.
My hope was dwindling.
I pursued opportunities outside the company and had no genuine success in this venture either. Then, I received an email from my employer regarding an interview with the manager in Customer Service.
What could this be about? I didn’t apply for a customer service job.
We talked for a little while and the interview instantly felt different from the previous ones at the company. It felt as though the purpose of the previous interviewer’s questions was to decide why I shouldn’t have the job. This woman seemed to build a case for me to have the job.
Shortly after this interview, I received a callback from an outside company. They wanted to bring me in for a third interview about a position that I had been working to transition into.
The day of the third interview arrived. During the workday, I received another email mentioning that the Customer Service Manager wanted to meet with me again. I went upstairs, and she was sitting in a conference room with a job offer in her hand.
This would be a lateral move. They explained it was a necessary step for getting into the office environment since I had no experience. I was optimistic about working for this woman. I canceled the other interview that day and continued with the company in which I had dedicated nine years of my life.
One question continued to linger in my mind.
What did she see in me that the other interviewers didn’t?
My original goal was to move into the Production Planner role from the storeroom. This was the role they had already rejected me for. I was now starting as a customer service agent, understanding that I was working towards the Production Planner role I had wanted from the beginning.
There is no profit in lying to you; starting this role instead of the role I wanted did not excite me in the beginning. I needed a better-paying role since I took a pay cut in moving to the storeroom. This role did not solve my financial problem, but it gave me hope I was one step closer to the role that would.
Instantly, this role won my heart over.
The people I worked with were great. I was the only male in the department and the others treated me as if I were a brother. The manager who gave me the job was great. I have worked for terrible bosses before, but I did not have this problem here.
This woman invested in me in a way that made me feel like I was a winning lottery ticket. She coached me through the problems I brought to her, handed me problems that would develop my skills, recognized my work ethic and my ideas, and gave them the space to flourish. She also vouched for me with the management in the department I wanted to join.
Halfway through, the planning department gave me related responsibilities as a test to see if I could handle it. I saw immediate success with the extra responsibilities.
After about four months of success, I wondered how much longer I would have to succeed here before they gave me the job. I had little hope in them, for they had found many reasons to turn me away before.
I looked outside the company again.
I was honest with my manager about this. Many times my truest thoughts came to light in her office. I told her I felt like I had consistently proved that I deserved more from the company. She listened every time, offering words of encouragement and challenging where she thought necessary.
The day came when I had an interview at a company that seemed like a good fit, and I informed her of what was going on.
I thought the interview at this company went very well, and I was optimistic about how it might turn out. I mentioned this to her, and she seemed to share my excitement.
Then, the strangest thing happened...
After work that day, I received a random call on my cell phone from the Director of Supply Chain. She said, “Corey, I apologize for calling you after hours, but I did not think this could wait. We want to offer you the Production Planner role at this pay. What do you think? Think about it over the weekend and let me know Monday.”
I felt as if I had finally made it to the top of Everest. The tense feelings in my shoulders loosened as the pressure I had been under for all these years no longer found a home in my situation. I poured my last swig of Blanton’s celebrating. All of those years of hard work and dedication had finally paid off.
However, there was something very interesting about this offer.
The exact position and pay were what I mentioned to the Customer Service Manager in a conversation maybe a week prior. She never confessed to this being her work, but there is no way you could tell me otherwise.
In the timeframe I interviewed with her for the customer service job, I also had two interviews with the planning team. I had the same resume for both interviews and the same amount of experience.
After the interview with planning, they were concerned about my ability to work in an office setting and my lack of planning experience. They ended up offering the job to a current customer service rep who also had no planning experience.
However, the customer service manager also understood I had no office experience, but saw something worth giving me a chance. Of course, the Production Planner role was a higher-paying job, but it was no less important.
This woman gave me a chance. Why?
Who Are These People?
I have had people like this show up at the right times all throughout my life.
As far back as I can remember, I had a football coach do the same thing. Throughout my entire football career, I had played positions I hated, such as offensive lineman and defensive end. I was a smaller guy, not really built for these positions.
However, this coach came along and started me at running back, strong safety, punter, and punt returner. I had the best season of my life. I had several games with multiple touchdowns coming from both sides of the ball.
He found me over 20 years later on Facebook and says, “I remember you were my MVP for 8th grade football, ha ha. Baller! Ha ha you ran the rock hard! And had some picks on D if I remember correctly!”
Even earlier at the chemical company, when I was simply content with the status quo, a manager noticed something in me and instantly invested in me. Although the woman from customer service takes the lead role in this story, that is to no discredit to this man.
Through this man’s investment and building me up, I saw no limits to my capabilities. This man invested relentlessly in my success at the company. Professionally, I think this guy affected me more than any of the degrees I achieved or any other career-related activities.
They Must Have A Name
The common denominator in all these situations was that these people seemed to recognize something no one else did. If it were just one example, maybe we could say it was a coincidence or that I am just reading into the story.
However, it has happened similarly in the three stories I mentioned, plus the stories I did not have the space to discuss.
Without these people, my life would have taken a completely different trajectory. Their value to me is priceless.
I call these people the Recognizers. I have considered these people and events to such a great extent that it only made sense to give them a name.
These people are not unique to my life.
I bet you can recall people in your life who acted as the Recognizers in mine did, perceiving a value that others did not see. Maybe even your worth when you were blind to it.
A Historic Office
I read a lot of biographies and have noticed the Recognizers nearly everywhere.
Consider William Farel and John Calvin. George Washington and the young Alexander Hamilton. Jerry West and Steph Curry. These are not basic people, but people known for significant achievements.
History is filled with people who recognized greatness before everyone else did.
Can you imagine how history may have changed were it not for these Recognizers?
In each case, these people looked beyond the obvious. They saw beyond the résumés and the opinions of others to something deeper, not yet apparent.
Mostly the same players were on every football team I played for, yet I played the wrong positions for years. This coach made me a leader on the team and put me in a position where my skills could flourish. Talents, I am convinced, were there long before.
Jerry West recognized potential in Steph Curry that others couldn’t see. George Washington recognized something exceptional in Alexander Hamilton that others didn’t. Calvin may have become a lawyer instead of the renowned theologian if not for Farel’s charge.
The Impact
The Recognizers were one of my primary motivations in starting The Dusty Muzzle. There is value in recognizing things that others don’t.
How much have I been missing my whole life?
I am not sure I will ever understand everything I missed. However, one thing I am not missing is the value of this role. How it has impacted me and how I can impact the lives of others by being one.
I don’t feel confident today that anybody is writing stories about me and how I changed their lives.
Maybe I have just been soaking in the benefits of being recognized without opening my heart to those in my life who are worth the recognition. Maybe these people became the Recognizers after they were first recognized.