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As above - any particularly rewarding things you've done at work?
introduced 5 customers to cycling.
2 are now regular enduro riders and 1 in a sr audax rider.
Sat down with a young patient who had just slashed his arms open with a stanley knife,and listened and chatted to him,then got him admitted to a ward for care, and a few months later helped him get on a college course, which he loved and excelled at.
Many thanks from him and his mum for helping him out.
I took a referral for a lady in a care home who was fully hoisted for all transfers after a severe illness . I worked with her and with help from the rest of the team over the course of 3-4 months, she became fully independent on her feet and moved back to her own home after nearly a year in the care home.
I work as a community physiotherapist.
Helped kids grow up and be successful.
Helped dig the victims of a train crash from the rubble.
In the process of helping a mate get a job where I work. Part time which suits him. One good use of Facebook that isn't commercial.
Quadruple time, with a curry from the local Indian thrown in, and a day off in lieu. Happy days.
Tricky one.
I'll go for the most recent.
Diagnosed a patient with an MI who didn't present with the normal signs and symptoms, arranged for her to be admitted directly to a major hospital for procedure as per protocol. Informed her gently what would happen and the benefits as well as her family. On route she deteriorated but with a simple basic technique she resolved that and I got her there. Left her in the Theatre where they started the procedure as we left the room.
No idea how she did but I know she's had the best possible chance she could have.
The receptionist, in the disabled loo
make sure everyone leaves work safe.
I had something to write but it's crap in comparison to some of the things others ^ have accomplished. Computer stuff may be clever but it's not helping someone you don't know back on their feet. 😳
Stopped people going to prison and helped them become productive members of society
Stopped people going to prison and helped them become productive members of society
Are you Bullit?
Helped a student change his mind about joining the army - he is now studying Philosophy at University.
Most recent thing that springs to mind is resuscitating the father of the bride following a collapse mid speeches. That was the 2nd successful one of the day (very rare day at work) but very memorable. A day when I thought, that was a good day in the office
Was that you? Did hear about that P20 that's some great bit of work there.
Yeah, as above, anything I can say is going to sound a bit lame compared to some of the above.
What I have done though is imparted a huge amount of knowledge and experience to younger guys who are starting in the business. Not just technical skills but business and management skills. I've seen 5 people who I'm fairly certain I've helped, move on to better careers. Hopefully I did help.
Oh, and I met the wife at work as well.
Every time I take a prisoner to reception for release & he says, 'thanks for you help Mr G, but I won't be back'
Playing at Manchester Jazz Festival wearing bike clothes and a full face helmet.
Yeah, as above, anything I can say is going to sound a bit lame compared to some of the above.
Don't be daft. I'm in what I consider a very privilege position where I can see life changing things immediately. I won't lie it's one hell of a feeling and gives me a massive amount of pride. Sadly I may have to say goodbye to all that and become a full-time manager, unless I can find something suitable.
Well all do something that can help people feel good or change their life when at work.
Double post somehow?
Me and a work mate saved a foal from drowning the other week.
I often drive past hospitals, schools, universities, stadia, railways and motorways I've played a part in...but hands down the most rewarding thing I've ever done was help make tea for some lovely people 🙂
I'd advised an authority over a few years for their new mental health facility. Wonderful, state of the art facility. After the deal was long done (from my perspective) and construction was complete, I got a call out of the blue from the clinical director who I worked with on the project. He asked if we'd like to bring a few people along to help move the patients from the old facility to the new one. All of the heavy stuff was done, this was just to move a few personal effects and make a few cups of tea for the residents/patients.
We took a last walk around the old facility and let them say goodbye (it was pretty much how you'd imagine a 70's mental health facility would look) and then jumped in a minibus over to the new facility. It was my first time on site since the fit out works, so it was new to me too. I helped a lady called Angela settle into her new room and made her tea while she put up some photographs. She'd been in the old (and not very nice) facility for nearly 20 years. The look on her face when she moved into the room was something i'll never forget. I rarely cry, but i'm welling up now writing this, as I always do when I think of her and that day. That building meant a lot to me for very different reasons, but I got to share a wee bit of what it meant to other people that day too. Humbling stuff and made me proud to have played a part in it, to see that it was going to help so many people.
Seeing some of the Olympic stuff I did made me very proud too, especially being there and seeing it with my family. It was rewarding to see it being used, rather than just a deal/site/pain in the ass job.
Helped a colleague who i thought was having a heart attack, tried to keep him calm whilst waiting for the ambulance. Bricking it inside. the ambulance came and true enough he was having a heart attack. Admitted to hospital where he had a stent fitted. He then got releasedband had a further heart attack at the doctors. I think someone was telling him something. All good now.
Also once spent part of day trying to find a colleague's fingers after he cut them off on the panel saw. That was surreal.
Never work in a machine shop or be the first aider.
Taught a 50+yr old colleague to swim so that he could swim with his grand kids when on holiday. He was a proper white knuckle, scared of the water type having had a bad experience when a youngster.
Also helped a workmate and his wife who were both polio sufferers start a swim club for disabled people. That has become a huge local success 😆
I'd advised an authority over a few years for their new mental health facility.
Where was this peterfile? Got a new facility in my town, played squash with the main man.
Most recent was I got someone off here a cheap bathroom suite. The reward was beer. Ta egf.
Every other day is the same as the last. Roll on September.
I did start writing a long and meaning full post but as I work in the private sector these days [b]the most rewarding thing you've done at work[/b] [i]for myself [/i] is getting the **** out of the place on time.
Got a new job for an apprentice that was sacked for being immature and stupid. He's just qualified as a sparky and he and and his Dad both phoned to say how much of a difference it made. Felt pretty chuffed.
When I was an apprentice I was working in a hotel leisure club and found a French dude collaped in the sauna. I dragged him out, checked his breathing and put him in the recovery position before getting help. I went to hospital with him to help translate for his family, not that I was any good at French! Was a pretty surreal experience for a 17 year old tbh and left me a bit shaken.
Where was this peterfile? Got a new facility in my town, played squash with the main man.
It was a few years ago now, so probably not the same one. I'll have to be fairly cryptic and say England. There's an unresolved dispute which is still receiving a bit of media attention so don't want my posts here to come up in a google search!
Explained to the boss, who really didn't want to know, just what a [i]quick clay[/i] is. A bit like peterfile, but long time ago. I guess the building isn't a building now, that site should have nothing heavier than grass on it.
Trying my best not to be a dick (and stop other people being dicks) in the IT industry.
Harder than it sounds
I said goodbye to a bunch of kids I've taught for the last 2 years for a day a week. They have all got the grades they wanted to go on to do what they want.
After 2 years of badgering and badgering and having them fall out with each other and me on a weekly basis, they all said thanks and meant it.
🙂
Getting people out of fires or rtcs is always a good feeling but nothing will ever come close to giving my then 18 month old daughter resuscitation while the paramedics arrived after she collapsed and stopped breathing (which I learnt at work)
Dunno how the medical people deal with kids all the time it wrecks me dealing with them when we have to. Hats off
Everyone here sounds a like they've done a whole lot more rewarding things than I have.
I'm sure that given time to think, most of us have probably made even a small difference to someone else's life even if they haven't realised it at the time.
Makes me feel quite small all the same.
There are some really good ones above.
I find helping my students to find and successfully apply for good engineering apprenticeships pretty satisfying. Every now and again there is a kid that will seemingly apply themself to their work with me when they won't for anybody else and I love the idea that I have helped stop a young person from wasting some of the best years of their life.
Helped a pilot of a light aircraft that was lost and above clouds to find a place he could descend safely and get visual reference to the surface again and then back to an aerodrome.
I managed to negotiate a business critical CR into an already full release.
Oh, wait. That means absolutely **** all to anyone!
Nice, proper stories above. 😀
Mentored 4 volunteers from youngsters taking part in shows through to accomplished amateur theatre technicians with aspirations for further college or Conservatoire type training.
It wasn't even really part of my job.
In general, this: 'Helped kids grow up and be successful.'
It really is quite a buzz when twenty years down the line you meet someone who tells you how you inspired them to do something with their life. It becomes extra rewarding when that person is working SO hard in parallel with yourself to get the best for someone in common.
More specifically; developing the link between two schools at the opposite ends of the planet. And by dint of the student's hard work (14- 16 year olds) kids from Wales and kids from Lesotho are now visiting each other on a regular basis.
This week I have been trying to help an elderly patient to change her thought patterns to allow them to walk without being petrified that they are about to have their legs collapse under them. Been using a mixture of CBT and motivational techniques. On monday they would not get out of bed because they thought they would fall over, today they managed to walk 6m with a smile on their face.
I'm a physio in an acute hospital.
18 months ago, the most delightful 85 year old widower walked into my police station with his bank statements bewildered as to why his account was empty. About 17 months ago he was practically in tears after I worked out it was his next door neighbour and her daughter who'd stolen it all. On Tuesday he gave me a massive hug when they went to jail.
Things like that make it seem worthwhile.
Most of my direct reports have been promoted. Two in particular were being bullied or had been bullied by their bosses and their lack of confidence was seriously holding back their obvious potential. 6-12 months work with each and they thrived.
To me it seemed like the right thing to do, and the very least a manager should do. 10 years on I realise very few managers care in the slightest about such things so I'm still very proud of what I/they achieved...
We need a 'Like' button on this and so many other threads.
Some great stuff up there, must feel good to make a difference, I'm afraid I'm just a cog in a larger machine and have become a wage slave just passing the time till I get out, try to make life outside of work my focus.
Transform huge failing neighbourhoods into [s]somewhere great[/s]. Ah - we didn't mostly finish this - economic crash, change of government, long-term projects, short term spending....blah.
So instead - smaller stuff. Quite proud of a nice 40unit over 55's housing project. Lots of shared gardens, residents looking out for each other, nice community feel and spacious energy efficient dwellings. Worked with the residents from day 1, evolved the scheme with them and delivered something they took immediate pride in.
Seeing the first promo and features I edited get played out on our tv channel for the first time. I love my job despite having no real interest in the channel I work for (its horse racing, despite working here for two years I'm still indifferent to it)! Oh and being told "we definitely made the right decision to promote you" in my review just after starting the editing job 🙂
This is nothing compared to what the others have done, but I've rescued a couple of dogs that have escaped gardens by stopping and alerting the owners.
Also it's amazing how many people leave keys in car doors and even car doors wide open. I always stop and knock on the nearest house.
The joys of driving round housing estates with learner drivers !!
Pullled. 8)
😉Also it's amazing how many people leave keys in car doors and even car doors wide open. I always have a rummae round see if there's anything worh nicking.
Two weeks into a new job I secured a contract for £140k
tagged 2 weekends in Rotorua onto a training course I was delivering.
The training side is generally quite rewarding especially with non IT types. Blowing some of the magic consulting smoke out of it all is quite fun.
After that probably stopping somebody from wasting a huge amount of money on the wrong solution/ego trip.
Kept an 11 year old boy alive when he'd collapsed in the street and was in cardiac arrest in january. The local GP and I gave him chest compressions and rescue breaths until the closest ambulance arrived which was closer than i'd been but then couldn't find the boy and his mum until i'd radioed through the exact location.
He survived then spent four months in Alder Hey learning to swallow, move his limbs, talk then eventually walk again. He's now back home and planning to go back to school in September.
My Sergeant and I were planning on how to investigate his death after the ambulance had left with him and his mum but thankfully we never had to :-).
Being a local bobby has its moments at present whilst there are big changes happening but this day sticks in the memory somewhat.
Used double sided tape to stick lingerie on models for photo shoots
A little play on words 'Bollards to bollards', that I inserted in a piece of work for the DfT whilst chuckling away to myself at the thought of my boss picking it up in the proof read. Well, it made itself through our proofing, the DfT proofing and got published in transport guidance - they obviously appreciated the jovial tone which wasn't entirely out of kilter with the gist of the contents.
My most rewarding thing was to sell my Business for a huge profit.
Theres a whole story behind that but thats the outcome.
The invoice I'll be submitting on Monday will be for six weeks, rather than the usual four. That'll be pretty rewarding 🙂
Taught some grown ups to ride a bike. Followed my hunch on a few cases that saved someone from abuse or exploitation. Seeing everyone at the start line at mayhem from the commentary box in blazing sun always feels good!
Well I work in IT, so I don't get to help people to the extent that some of you do, to my shame.
I spent four months every morning talking a girl in India through how to do my job, on which she was replacing me. She's now taken it over; pretty grateful and well set up for her career now, that's a good feeling as I'm not sure she'd have made it otherwise.
Last year I went to a customer, they'd had something implemented by a third party that was shite, and they were struggling to do their jobs. I went in, explained it all and reworked their system a bit, they were all visibly chuffed to bits - that was good.
Yesterday, talked to a customer where I happened to be doing something else - they were facing ludicrous deadlines. In a few hours in a meeting I'd throw in technical ideas that had hugely simplified the job and now we've got a great chance of success. The project is for the government, which will save a crapload of money for the public purse (not by replacing jobs, this time) so that's actually fairly significant I reckon.
3 flush dump.
I'm screwed...
Started in the Army having paid trips to sunnier climbs to show them democracy, then became a personal injury lawyer, now work for an insurance company, i'm going to hell......
Got some people sacked for browsing pron all day.
[i]I'm screwed...[/i]
no shame in the oldest profession.
Got to say nothing I've done is anything like as rewarding as you guys back there, credit to you. I've had a few deals that went well in my time, have helped folk start new careers and trained them to be what they might not have ever considered, but nothing like that real helping folk with serious issues stuff, that may not be that rewarding financially but there is more to life than money.
Set up aggegate recycling plants that mean 4 highways contracts we have are near as is possible self sufficient for stone. Diverting over 100,000 T of waste from landfill and reducing demand for quarried stone by the same.
This week it was negotiate myself out of a job I hate a month early which has raised my mood and made me a better person to be around for my family.
Bit selfish compared to above but a big difference in my tiny world.
It's quite depressing that at 33 I can't think of a serious answer to this question
Various major first aid incidents spring to mind. And helping some clients while I was a guide in les gets get down some pretty serious terrain. Remembering their reluctance to do any of it while reminiscing over a beer in the evening having successfully completed everything that was thrown at them was a good feeling. Not exactly life saving stuff but it made me feel proud.
This is a really good question, and it's got me thinking.
"Not enough" is my answer. Not because I'm comparing against those who do life-saving jobs, or work in education, but because what I do (lawyer*) is generally only about making or saving money for people.
*For the next fortnight only - catch me while you can!
Just seeing someone enjoy a bottle of wine I've made.
Made quite a few things that a lot of people find very useful. All you smartphone users can thank me if you are ever using a function where a satellite is involved as I made the bits to make it possible (and over two dozen companies failed to do so before coming to me). 8)
Had a thalidomide victim come in to get some custom golf clubs made for him, which was good, he was well chuffed (he had almost perfectly formed hands, just hardly any arms, the clubs were about six foot long).
Most rewarding thing I've done is simply helping a new disabled customer at work. She was so overwhelmed with the level of service she received that she wrote me a letter in a thank you card.
That card sits on my desk infront of me now, and has helped me get through some very dark times.
A colleague thanked me, for giving them the confidence to speak english with a native speaker. That was a good day (i finally had someone to talk to!). Building up people's confidence is a wonderful thing.
I briefly worked with 12 month+ unemployed, the forerunner to the Work Programme. I had one customer who amazed me, he had been a teacher for many years and quit. All the jobs centre and other agencies wanted him to do was go back into teaching. He was collecting his £65/wk while trying to find a job, yet in the evenings he went out and helped the homeless - worked in soup kitchens etc. He was one rung up the ladder from the people he was helping. I racked my brains and got him a work placement (work for free) with a homeless shelter. Within the week they were on the phone asking if they could hire him. As I was leaving the job and handing over my clients to the new lady, he walked in. "Oh no" said the lady, "he's not one of yours is he?" "he won't go back into teaching and I couldn't do anything with him at the other agency". With a big smile I told her "he's signing off, he's got a job doing what he's passionate about"
The big grin on his face still makes me smile.
Update:
To paraphrase sbob who has set my mind into a guilty sort of turmoil...
'Most rewarding thing I've done is simply being there. She was so overwhelmed with the support she received that she wrote me a letter in a thank you card.
That letter sits on my desk infront of me now, and has helped me get through some very dark times.'
'know that you made a difference and know that you saved a life'
The Lesotho Exchange is still pretty cool though. And today I polished off my Year 11 Science classes admin. I'm looking at a 95% A*- C rate for my two classes- I'm pretty chuffed to be honest. A Chinese takeaway and a couple of bottles of local beer are deserved I think.
Setting up my own company has been very rewarding and it allows us to pay the mortgage whilst my wife does much more important and rewarding things as a social worker for fostering services.
At my uncle's funeral this week a 'autobiography' of his life was read - he'd been ill for some time - and I was taken back by the pride and reward he had in bringing through apprentices in his business. Inspiring stuff and something I hope I can do someday.
I used to be an engineer on SAR flight at HMS Gannet (819 NAS in my day)Thats rewarding enough for me
Helped save numerous lives whilst earning a pittance
Latest were a family of 6 who thought they had flu but it was carbon monoxide poisoning
Thanks I get is my wages not paid right.
Yes I'm some what pee'd off, I'd get paid more stacking shelves (yes I have been looking!)
In the early year of my employment I smashed up my boss' cake without him knowing because he insisted on visiting a client after 5.30pm. FFS! The traffic jam took another 2 hours, so in a fit of anger I destroyed his cake which he was saving up for his desert later on that evening. 😆 I could have roughed him up a bit but then I would be told off by the police or lose my job.
Apart from that I have done all my jobs by giving my best and sometimes people thanked me sometimes not but so long as everyone is happy that's good enough for me. I don't feel ... unless I am running my own business or company ... 
Having spent too long in IT I packed it in and have worked in the domestic violence field for the past 4 years, both with perpetrators and victims. 95% grim but the rewarding bits are priceless.
Today may well have been my best ever day at work. A patient said the following to me "A couple of weeks ago I thought that I didn't have long to live and was waiting to die. You have taken me from that and got me back on my feet and able to walk - Thank You" I am truly gutted that I wont get to keep him on as a patient as I'm moving to a different job on monday.