1. I am a new employee in the Downtown Administration location, and have had the benefit of observing Nichole throughout her day, and the wide variety of tasks she coordinates. Chief among them seems to be acting as the official "Gatekeeper" for this location.
We have a wide variety of visitors, not all of which necessarily belong here....to watch Nichole treat each interaction with such care is not something I was expecting to see. Trying to put myself in her role, I know it would be difficult for me to maintain a consistent, friendly, welcoming greeting to each and every person who visits our location, but Nichole is able to do that without deviation. You could record her in action, and to hear the words she uses, and more importantly the tone and inflection she delivers them with, you would not be able to tell any difference between an interaction on Monday morning and one on Friday afternoon. She is AMAZINGLY consistent in her greeting to everyone, and as the "face of Odyssey" for all who visit our Downtown Administration location, is yet another example of why I am proud to share where I work with others.
Knowing she is the personification of Odyssey House as you enter our doors, it is difficult to determine if their is another (non Client facing) role that makes as much of an impact as her role as Receptionist does. I am grateful that she is in this role, she does it FAR BETTER than I could ever do.
I have been a proud part of the Odyssey House organization for precisely two weeks as of today. Due to her desk's physical location being so close to mine, and my status as a "new hire" employee, I have peppered poor Nichole with what must seem like a never ending string of basic questions, most of which are related to processes she has absolutely no ownership of, or involvement with. Nichole has been a key part of me being able to assume this role as smoothly as possible. If Nichole was able to answer a question herself, she has, regardless of whether or not it is "her process". She has greeted me with a smile and an enthusiastic "Good morning!" every day, just like I hear her greet EVERYONE that visits our location. You can't determine if she just handled something with high emotion, or if she has just had the most friendly of interactions, she greets everyone warmly and professionally, which makes a lasting and very positive impression on everyone who comes to the Downtown Administration facility.
I remember Nichole from the time I came to interview, and she made me feel welcome and appreciated, even though I was "just interviewing". That fact alone was undoubtedly one of the initial reasons I was so excited to join Odyssey House. She is a live example of how we should greet people when we are representing Odyssey House! Knowing that you don't get a second chance to make a first impression, it is hard to think of someone else that could "watch the front door" in a manner equal to, let alone better than Nichole. She does all of her normal work, yet does not hesitate to stop her work to assist a colleague, even though it may not be in her job description. She is not a member of the IT staff, but to have her assistance getting connected to the correct printer you would never know it. She is not a member of our HR team, yet to oversee her ACTIVELY listen to a peer talk about a challenge they are facing, without interrupting or "piling on" with her own examples of frustrations she faces, you would never know she isn't on our Human Resources team. I don't believe she is a member of our Facility Maintenance team, but to watch her fill any idle time by picking up a mess left by someone, or see her emptying trash cans, you would never know it.
My nomination of her isn't just a case of her exceeding expectations because I am so new, and therefore didn't have a defined set of expectations on Day 1.....my expectations are evolving on a daily basis, and Nichole's delivery of whatever is needed has evolved with my expectations. Starting any new job can be daunting, because there are so many procedural requirements that have to take place, and systems you need to be given access to. The fact that we are a healthcare provider means even more stringent regulation than the average industry. When you are starting in a new role, having so many more questions than answers, and adding to the list of questions every day, to have a colleague like Nichole can literally make the difference between a smooth and efficient transition into the role, and one that is stopped and restarted, sometimes taking three steps forward and two steps back. Many people have helped to ensure I can be effective in my new role with Odyssey as quickly as possible, so this isn't a "default nomination" because there were no other contenders. Many companies talk about wanting to be a second family for their employees. This is the first company I have personally worked for that has actually been able to execute this desire (and I am SUPER old), and Nichole is a key part of why this has so quickly become my "second family". Regardless of whether she is selected as the winner of this Award for December, she DEFINITELY deserves to be recognized for going above and beyond her job description, specifically as it relates to new employees being welcomed to and RETAINED BY Odyssey House!
My sincere thanks to Nichole for all she has done for me personally to ensure my eventual and ongoing success as a member of the Odyssey House family!!!!
2. Nichole is always so incredibly kind and eager to help at the front desk at administration. She is well versed in her position and all things Odyssey related. She is willing to help when I come in even when she's doing a ton of other things. I'm constantly impressed with her work ethic and kindness.
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