6 Reasons to Recognize a Humble Employee

Recently, my friend and Wisconsin Athletic Club colleague, Mark Baumhardt, turned 40. To celebrate, we enjoyed a delicious lunch, and I asked him, “What word or phrase do you think best describes you?”

Mark replied, “Dependable. If someone said I was dependable, that would be the best compliment I could get.” It hit me Mark is the most dependable coworker I’ve ever been around, yet one of the most underappreciated.

Do you know dependable people who are undervalued? Stop and think about the Marks in your life — the humble people who always make it about everyone else and never about themselves.

Many people love the idea of being humble. Humility is a value we strive for and admire. But in a world where we reward obvious achievement, humility is often underappreciated because it’s easy to overlook and it’s also hard to measure. Here are six reasons we should stop taking the Marks of the world for granted:

1. Humble people do jobs others won’t do.
2. Humble people build strong relationships.
3. Humble people help others.
4. Humble people do what’s right.
5. Humble people listen.
6. Humble people acknowledge others.

Last week, I asked my team what word or phrase they think best describes Mark. They responded with reliable, trustworthy, fun, loyal and many other qualities.

Being humble means putting the good of others before yourself. I don’t think there is a secret sauce for humility, but if there is, Mark personifies it.

Think about a humble colleague, friend or family member. Next, write down some characteristics that make him or her humble. Finally, praise this person for being humble through some recognition they would appreciate. Today, make the choice to recognize a humble person who is quietly making a mark.

Derek Deprey is the director of people and service for the Wisconsin Athletic Club.

Derek Deprey

Derek Deprey is the director of people and service at Wisconsin Athletic Club.