I walked through the art room and I heard, “Hey Ms. Kimberly. How are you today?” This happens almost every time I walk through the art room and it often happens when I walk through the lobby. Someone notices me and calls me by name. I like that feeling of knowing that someone knows my name and wants to say hello.
I am always impressed with April, Ahren, and Brenna because of how many of our guests’ names they know. They start talking about Mr. Smith or Ms. Brown and lately it seems that I ask a lot, “Which guest is that? What does he look like? Would I know her?” It bothers me a lot that I don’t know names like I used to when I provided direct services on a daily basis.
I’m pretty good with faces. I can look at a face and remember it, but not always the name. Names don’t come easily for me unless it’s someone who has been around for a long time, someone I’ve specifically worked with, or an individual we’ve asked to leave the OAC.
Despite my shortcomings with remembering names, I think being called by name is important. When we can call a person by name it says that we paid attention when we first met. It shows that each person is a human being and deserves being remembered . It’s a form of respect and dignity, which are two of our staff values. I believe being called by name shows that we care.
I’m trying to figure out a way that I can learn and remember more of our guests’ names since I don’t provide direct service on a regular basis. It’s important to me because I like being called by name, and I think it shows that I care about the other person if I can return the favor. When we call a person by his or her name, I think it helps us to put our values at Central OAC to work:
We believe in meeting people where they are with patience and humility and treating each person with respect and dignity! I am grateful to be a part of this team who calls people by name.