I was recently recommended for a Case Manager role with a growing company. This was based off of a maximum 5 hour time frame of working with someone.

While in the Nurse Manager’s role, I recall implementing a program called “Recommend a Friend”. I asked all staff to support one another by acknowledging strengths, hard work, and exceptional attributes of their team members. My plan was to ensure the team member was acknowledged in staff meetings and on an Administrative level. The facility was and remains a family oriented environment and was small enough that this endeavor would not be lost in bureaucracy.

One might think that recommending someone should come easy if indeed that person is deserving. However, recommending someone can put your name and reputation on the line if the individual does not live up to your hype. There is also the pressure of playing out the role for which one has been recommended in an exceptional way.

Then there’s the other part…when the person doing the recommending does not necessarily live up to that very same hype. Hmmm. Seeing the great in others does not necessarily mean one encompasses that same attribute.