Otsukaresama

My meditation today was about the Japanese word Otsukaresama which loosely translates to “good job”. The Japanese use this phrase commonly in the workplace as a greeting or a goodbye to show appreciation for someone’s efforts. It’s a way to say, I see you working hard and I appreciate your hard work.

I loved hearing about this and I wish we had something similar in the U.S. Obviously, we can say the words, “good job” and “I appreciate your hard work” but we need something a bit more commonplace.

The workplace at Secfi can be really frustrating often. We work in a highly specialized field that is demanding. We’re also a small company that requires a lot out of our people. Like any workplace, we can great frustrated at our colleagues and what’s happening.

All that said, I’m incredibly lucky to have a great team. This job just isn’t worth it if you don’t like the people you’re doing it with, and I’m fortunate to say that I love my colleagues. They’re rock stars and they always come through for me. Learning about Otsukaresama is a good reminder that I need to tell them I appreciate them more often.