CHAPTER 6 | Plus One: How to Be Remarkable at Work

Imani Rhodes

It was one of those Mondays where everyone looked half awake and already behind. Jess had her coffee in one hand, her laptop in the other, and that creeping dread that the handoff from Friday wasn’t clean. Sure enough—first email of the day: “Hey, where’s the updated version?” She opened the shared folder and froze. The report was still labeled “final_FINAL_v3.” No context, no notes, just chaos waiting to happen. She groaned, already feeling that pit in her stomach. Then she noticed something—a new subfolder: “Ready for Jess.” Inside, every file renamed, clean, with a short note from her coworker Alex: “Did a quick pass Friday before I left. Should make your morning smoother.” She just sat back and laughed. No fanfare. No email chain. Just a simple act that saved her thirty minutes and a small meltdown. She shot him a message: “You’re a legend.” He replied with a shrug emoji and, “Just didn’t want you starting the week in chaos.” That tiny gesture hit different. It wasn’t about heroics—it was about care. The quiet kind that says, “I see your load, and I can lighten it.” By Wednesday, Jess caught herself doing the same thing—cleaning up a messy spreadsheet before clocking out, dropping a note: “Made a few fixes for tomorrow.” And that’s how it starts. Not a policy. Not a program. It's what I call the—the “Plus One” habit. And no, I don’t mean bringing a date to your company picnic. Jake, you ever notice how the people who truly stand out aren’t the ones grinding late every night or making some big show of it?

Jake Ramirez

Oh, totally, Imani. It’s so true. Like, you remember that one person—every crew has one—where you just think, “Man, they don’t leave loose ends.” Not superheroes, just people who find these little moments to be... I dunno, memorable. Like the person who actually wraps the extension cords instead of tossing them in the truck? The person who consistently goes the extra mile.

Imani Rhodes

Exactly. For me, it’s that coworker who leaves a two-sentence recap in the group thread—“I called the vendor, shipment’s confirmed for Tuesday.” Simple, clean, done. Just that bit of care. I honestly started doing it, just to see if it helped—and wow, people notice. Like you said, it’s not about being the hero, it’s about—well—being the human people can count on.

Jake Ramirez

Yeah. The Plus One habit, going just 1% past what’s expected—actually builds this personal momentum. Like you famously talked about back in Chapter 2 Imani, it’s called Organizational Citizenship Behavior, or OCB—the stuff that isn’t in your job description but changes how people experience working with you. When you do that, your performance, your reputation, even who people choose to collaborate with—it all rises. It’s that quiet credibility you earn by showing up a little differently.

Imani Rhodes

And, I love that OCB gets at something we don't think about enough at work—those little actions that aren’t in the manual, but make everything run better. Like, these small discretionary efforts—that aren’t required, not even recognized officially—but they keep the place flowing, and people actually remember them. Honestly, research shows teams that do this improve morale, break down silos, and just work better. It’s contagious, in a good way.

Jake Ramirez

Yeah, and to your point, Imani—and as we talked about last episode, it’s not about your title, it’s about being the person who sees what needs doing and steps up in small ways. That’s what actually moves the needle for team culture. Crew’s with Plus One habits? You can feel it—all these little extras add up and suddenly, it feels like “us,” not just “me getting by.”

Imani Rhodes

We had a client email come in late one night. Everyone saw it and groaned — it was gonna spiral in the morning. But before the sun was even up, someone replied calmly, fixed the issue, and posted in our team chat, ‘Handled. Everyone’s good.’ You could almost feel the team exhale. Not heroic — just someone choosing to care before the chaos started.”

Jake Ramirez

Out on the crew, you don’t remember the policy manual… you remember the habits that make life easier. We had a guy who wrapped extension cords like it was an Olympic event. Tight, clean, no knots. And the funny thing? People joked about it… and then they started doing it too. Because starting your day without tangles feels better. That’s the secret: people copy what feels good.”

Imani Rhodes

That’s such a good example, Jake. And what I love is that it didn’t start because someone made it a rule—it just spread. This is the difference between a team where everyone says, “That’s not my job,” and a team that’s always thinking, “I’ve got you.” Academic research says OCB—those above and beyond moments—are actually what makes or breaks workplace culture. They improve morale, create trust, and just make it, well, feel safer to be at work. And you’re right, culture shows up in what we actually do, not just what we post on the breakroom wall.

Jake Ramirez

Yeah, let’s get practical. What does Plus One actually look like, not just sound like? Here’s a quick hot list: One, you’re leaving the shop and see a teammate carrying three awkward boxes. You grab the door and clear the path without making a big deal out of it. Two, A teammates on a call when the delivery guy walks in confused. Instead of pretending not to see it, you step up, sign for it, and stage the materials where they belong. Three, you’re walking past the printer and see it flashing “low paper,” so you top it off. Not a big deal… until the next person avoids a meltdown printing-proposals. Four, your coworker looks overwhelmed trying to juggle two emails and a walk-in. You lean over and say, “I’ll take the walk-in, you wrap that up." Small thing. Big relief. Five— last one—Your teammate handles an angry customer with total calm. Instead of moving on, you say, “Hey, that was solid. You saved us on that one. "Recognition builds fuel.

Imani Rhodes

And those little things multiply, right? It’s this ripple effect; one simple Plus One makes someone else want to do it. Honestly, sometimes the most remarkable thing you can do isn’t big or fancy. It’s just taking one more second to show you care—especially when you think nobody’s watching.

Jake Ramirez

You nailed it, Imani. People start sharing their Plus Ones. You walk into the site, or log onto the call, and suddenly you actually look forward to it. The CULTURE changes. When you know your team’s got that vibe, you can take on more, together. Not because you have to, but because you want to.

Imani Rhodes

So let’s be real here. Not everyone buys into Plus One right away. Some people hear “above and beyond” and immediately think, “That’s not my job,” or “No one notices this stuff.” Maybe they’re worried about piling more work on a full plate. I get that—it’s a legit concern. But, as the research points out, Plus One done right is sustainable. It shouldn’t burn you out. Thirty seconds now can save someone else ten minutes later. That’s a win for everybody.

Jake Ramirez

Totally. It’s like, don’t turn it into a hero contest. If Plus One means some huge project, that’s not it. It’s a small, quick hit you can build into your rhythm. Don’t care if it’s tiny. Like when sales mentions that the walk we're removing is probably four inches thick—but if it’s more, there might be a change order. That tiny bit of honesty upfront with the client keeps the project manager from having to defend it later. It’s not about more work; it’s about thinking one step ahead. That stuff? Teams notice that.

Imani Rhodes

Here’s a way to really practice it: Pick three key hand-off moments in your typical day. After each one, pause and ask: “What’s one thing I can add that shows I care?” That’s it. Say you finish a help desk ticket—leave a note: “Here’s what changed, what to look for tomorrow.” Try it in different departments, too; the ripple gets bigger over time.

Jake Ramirez

Imagine I’m wrapping up a project handoff. First, No Plus One: “Hey, here’s the file, done.” -Now, with Plus One: “Hey, here’s the file, and heads up, I had Dave review the data in column C before he left—you're all set for next week.” -See, the second handoff—it just lands different. It sets the next person up to win. People love working with someone who does that. You feel it.

Imani Rhodes

Absolutely. You change how people feel about working with you, right? And you start building something bigger—the kind of culture where people look out for each other. Plus One is a bottom-up thing; each person gets to decide how remarkable they wanna be, and then it just multiplies. It’s not a management memo. It’s a human choice.

Jake Ramirez

Let’s wrap with a challenge. Tonight, write down three hand-off moments you know you’ll face tomorrow. And tomorrow, try that one small Plus One in each.

Imani Rhodes

And don’t just look for your own Plus Ones—try spotting them in others, too. Point them out. If you catch someone else adding a little more, let them know you noticed. That’s how culture gets real. Remember, your Plus One starts a chain reaction.

Jake Ramirez

That’s it for today—so go out, be a little remarkable, and we’ll-see-you in the next section.