This morning, I was at Switchyards here in Nashville, looking to get out of the house and feel productive for a bit. As I was waiting for coffee and doing the awkward dance where there is no good place to stand while multiple people wait for coffee, a sign on the coffee machine caught my eye. The design team at Switchyards is very intentional with their design choices, and they curate a really fun and cozy vibe with a few "go get 'em!" type things around what they call the clubs.
As I stood there waiting, I couldn't help but contemplate the sign. I think in the professional arena, and also in the general arena of life, doing just small little things each day can really make a difference. Think of it as compounding interest on money you have in a bank account. An interest payment or two won't change the world, but if you get 200 interest payments you will see a difference. The same thing applies to our daily interactions.
It can be as simple as just asking how someone is. It doesn't need to be a long conversation, but a simple "how are you?" can make someone else feel seen, even in the darkest of times. A simple "how's it going?" to a junior developer (pre AI of course) can mean the world when they are just starting out and see the world of software development like the giant black hole that it can be. Doing little things like this will build everyone up. You move up on the list of people who may be fondly remembered two jobs later, or next time you go get a coffee and the barista now remembers your name. It's not a lot of work, but its worth the small effort.
So next time you are out and about, take a moment and do something small. It will have a big impact.