I was doing some soul searching this morning, something I do when times get tough, or difficult situations or decisions are fast approaching. Now it's not the end of the world, I've already been dealing with that scenario for the last two years. Glad to say I have survived the whole ordeal, and hopefully am stronger and better for having gone through the trials and tribulations. I really believe there is a time in each of our lives where we need to take a step back, take a personal inventory of who we are, and look at what we want to be compared to where we are at this moment. People have always said that there is always room for improvement. Now this improvement can be in the form of family relationships, job or work performance, or a litany of other things. Where the improvement needs to come is totally up to your discretion and no one
else's. Oh yea, we've all had bosses who are very good at telling us where we suck, and friends who will tell us that we need to be this or need to be that. You can talk to me about my shortcomings until the cows come home, but truth be told, until I can see it in myself no degree of pushing me in that direction is going to do any good. It's not that I am stubborn or pigheaded...well maybe I am to a degree. But the way a person delivers a message is far more important sometimes then the message itself. I was talking with a friend at the gym the other day. He was telling me about a lambasting he took from his boss that morning for something that he had no control over. Let me stop here for a moment and speak to all you bosses who have forgotten where you came from and more importantly have forgotten what you learned in Peoples Skills 101 in college. Get off your high horse and come with upbeat suggestions to help your workers attain a level of success that will make everyone look good. I am forever amazed at these idiots who feel that the only way to get their point across is to yell, scream, threaten, or otherwise act like a complete fool, because they are in a position of authority. To these people I have but one thing to say "Kiss my ass". If you are the type of person who has to rule through intimidation, fear, or belittling, then you need to go away, and go away fast. People are going to make mistakes. You may think you are perfect, but we all know the truth. If someone purposely does something wrong, well then you have the right to come down on them. If on the other hand, an innocent mistake is made, why turn it into World War III. Do you really think that most people get up in the morning with thoughts of how they can screw something up today? If you think this is the case you need serious help and you need it right now. The average person is going to do the best they can do with the ability or knowledge that they have. If you are asking your workers to do something they haven't been trained to do, you deserve what you get. I have been in jobs where supervisors seem to think that everyone will learn through osmosis. Leave them in a situation long enough they are bond to pick up on it and do what has to be done. And yet, when mistakes are made, these supervisors are the first to stomp on the workers chest demanding to know how come they messed up. Let me get my gun please. Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe you haven't trained them properly? Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, you haven't spelled out exactly what it is you expect of them? Did you ever think, well we know the answer to that question, no they didn't think. We see this all the time in the work place, and somehow we need to stop the madness. So getting back to my story, bet you though I forgot about it, didn't you? So my friend was berated for about 30 minutes for something he had no control over. I told him he ought to go back to his boss and invite him to come out in the field with him and show him how it should be done. I think most bosses have been away from the grudge and grime of the real workplace for so long that they wouldn't know what to do even if handed a map and directions. Heck if I am so bad at this why don't you show me how it's done? Better yet, let me observe the master at work, and I will duplicate it. Face it folks, we have all had bosses like this, and we have all felt and said the same things. Do yourself and your workers a favor and think back on how you felt when someone did this to you, and make sure you don't do it to them.
Don't know why I went off on that wild tangent but maybe someone needed to hear that this morning. I guess I am so sick and tired of those who walk around with this air of superiority. It's like the world owes them a debt of thanks simply because they are them. Well time for a reality check, you are no better than anyone else and the sooner you realize this the better all of us will be. Maybe I am a lousy manager or supervisor because I really think that my roll is to make my workers look good and give each of them the tools they need to be successful and become what ever it is that they want to become. If we spend as much time trying to help our co-workers obtain success as we did trying to place blame when things go wrong maybe things wouldn't gone wrong as much. Yea what a concept I know!! Aren't you tired of all the blame game stuff that goes on from day to day. If I have people who work for me and something goes wrong, maybe the first thing I should look at is why did it go wrong. Was I unable to provide the proper training, or maybe the workplace is not properly set up to achieve the success I want or need from the people working along side of me. It's always easier to point the finger at someone else instead of pointing it back and you and accepting responsibility for things that go wrong. Now don't get me wrong, there will always be people who will not want to learn how to do things right. If that is the case get rid of them and bring others on board who share your vision and want to be part of a successful team. The world is not perfect, nor are workers. We will all have good and bad days, but the key to any good manager is to realize what is taking place and be there to empower others to achieve what it is they desire to achieve. If you want to walk in a position of authority then you need to accept the responsibilities that come with that position. Your main objective has to be setting the tone for success in your area of responsibility and making sure each person under your purview has what they need to walk in their own success.
One final thought: Things will go wrong and mistakes will be made. How one handles these situations will show what type of person you really are. I need those that work with me to know that my number one priority is to see that they have the tools they need to be successful. Anything short of that then I have failed them and I have failed me. It is time we put people first. Failure to do so will guarantee our demise. Think about it, a happy worker is a productive worker, and that productive worker will be there when you need them most. Negative reinforcement has never worked and it will never work. Oh sure you may think it does, but you are only fooling yourself. Time to take a check up from the neck up and put yourself in the shoes of those who work along side of you. In the long run you will be creating a work environment that will be the envy of everyone and in doing so you will ensure that you have a place to work for as long as you want it. Now think about that......
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