Remember to call me by my name

My team members and I are always involved in some sort of personal development and growth training. Last month, we read the book The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.

Now I know what you are probably thinking … A book about checklists? Yawn.

But, oh, how wrong you would be. I love the book. My whole team loves the book. During today’s team meeting, we spent 45 minutes talking about how much we love the book.

And on Monday, I had a checklist-related experience that changed my life.

I’ve been volunteering at the St. Vincent de Paul homeless shelter, which serves thousands of homeless people per week. On the first day I volunteered, I went home feeling really haunted. Homeless people don’t feel like they have dignity. They feel invisible.

And the hard-to-admit truth is …

When I see homeless people on the street, I ignore them. I don’t think I’m alone in this. We ignore homeless people. We try not to look at them. We certainly don’t ask them their names.

It’s almost too sad to think about.

But The Checklist Manifesto inspired me to do something really simple. On Monday, I brought a big bag of nametags to St. Vincent de Paul. As people arrived for their meal, I asked them their names so I could give them nametags.

I handed out 427 nametags last Monday.

Some people didn’t want them, but about 80 percent did. In fact, at times people waited in line for a nametag, even though the food line was empty!

When I spelled a name wrong, some would say, “Don’t worry about it.”

I responded the same way every time: “No, I’m going to get it right; your name is important to me.”

Tears welled up in two people’s eyes. Both times, as these people walked away, my eyes filled with tears as well.

We instructed all the volunteers to start calling people by their first name, and afterward, the executive director, Steve Zabilski, said to me: “I’ve called more people by their first name today than I have in the last 10 years of working here.”

The badges gave them back their names. It gave them an identity, and it gave them some dignity.

And the nametags served as a checklist: Remember, these are people with hearts that feel the pain of life, just like I do.

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