What has your CEO done for you lately?

On a hot, sticky Friday afternoon, the CEO of the organization I work in sent us all ice cream. For a few minutes, we all stopped work, chatted about the day, had a laugh then resumed work amongst the chaos.

It was a small gesture that had an immediate and lasting impact. Imagine, a CEO who actually cares about employees!

My previous experience of CEOs in the healthcare industry is that they make an annual appearance at a national conference sharing a vision that never materializes into anything or, even worse, show up for a staged “fireside chat” full of pomp and ego.

So what makes this CEO different from the others.

Here are my thoughts:

1. She started as a health care worker so knows the pressures and sacrifices employees in the organization make every day.
2. She practices the organizations values which leads to a compassionate, caring culture.
3. She is visible in the organization showing up at orientations, team leader meetings and events.
4. She openly shares her vision and how it will be achieved.
5. She understands the meaning of work life balance in a predominately female work environment.
6. She understands that a small thank you goes a long way in everyone’s books. Everyone loves ice cream.

So what has your CEO done for you lately?