Posts tagged human nature
Where's the leader?
Oct 3rd
I stumbled upon the Evil HR Lady blog this afternoon. Her recent post, Termination Blues, generated a great number of comments; however, the vast majority, in my opinion, missed the point: an organization should not be ran on rules and regulations; it should be led! The discussion revolved around the firing of a man who was caught sleeping on the job – twice. Was it justified? Most said, “Yes.” I disagree.
Our world need not be a punitive one. There is much talk about the man’s infraction and the manager’s little recourse, and HR’s only option in the post/comments, but I must ask, Where is the leader?
One comment read, “This guy went to sleep on company time, and you have a policy against it.” The implication, of course, is to fire him because he broke the rules. And rules are made to be followed, right? That’s why none of us have ever broken one. With that said, let him/her without sin be the first to cast a stone (or, in this case, toss a pink slip) at this man.
My guess is all who read this post have, at some point (probably recently), stepped outside the rules. Spend any company time on your social network lately? How many of us commented on this post during company time? How about that community/political office we’re interested in obtaining or keeping? And we shouldn’t forget the attention that our online cash cow needs when you think no one is looking.
From where I stand, the role of rules is often misinterpreted; they should not exist to penalize infractions; instead, they should serve as guidelines to help leaders lead.
A great leader will not look at the world through a black and white castigatory lens, leaving the dirty work to their HR cadre; instead, they will take FULL responsibility for helping ALL employees find their strengths and, by extension, discover the Joy of their work through a niche that permits them to make a lasting, productive, and positive contribution.
Many employees (probably most) feel as though they are held hostage to a system that rewards yes men and women, cronyism, and proximity to the water cooler. They have little or no incentive to do any more than is asked, in large part because they are not appreciated and respected as a person—they feel they are merely looked upon as another pawn (perception IS reality). For example, we pit one employee against another with IDPs that foster unhealthy competition (to increase the company’s bottom line) rather than collegiality—me versus we—in their quest to race up the rusty rungs in the old trusty ladder.
I can’t help but wonder if the organization that fired this man really has a true leader; if so, it would seem to me the firing would have been unnecessary because a leader would have made it THEIR mission to help this man find a way to make work enjoyable. In lieu of leadership, we tend to resort to common, self-preservation management tactics: blame the man rather than the leadership (or lack thereof), fire him, and use the situation to instill the fear of God in the other workers so their productivity will improve (or at least doesn’t decline). Now that’s a team everyone wants to be part of, I’m sure. Right? Didn’t think so.
Let me encourage you to push back on leadership a bit. To not do so makes you no different than the man who was fired; it’s the same thing as sleeping on the job.
In closing, my intention was not to berate; instead, I wanted to shine a light on the bigger problem: leadership, and THEIR responsibility. If they pawn it off, it’s high time to give THEM the pink slip.
Finding our way ~ the whisper of redolent hope
Sep 8th
I find great encouragement from Sarah Robinson’s site, Maverick Mom, and I think you will, too. Her latest post, Getting Hung Up, gives us a glimpse of human nature, without the make-up and false pretenses. Mediocrity can be a challenge if we are not prepared to deal with it. And in her own special way, Sarah is showing us what we need to know to escape mediocrity’s grip.
Indeed, it takes great courage to invite others to peer through the stained glass panes of our life to view our vulnerability, our well-rehearsed urge at times to forego what is important for what is expedient. In Sarah’s daring, she show us the ever-present need to stop, if but for a moment, to smell the rose and, while its scent lingers, find our bearings.
In the months preceding 9-11, I was a sojourner stationed with a command element in the Middle East. Before me unfolded the drama that is Arabia. With every wisp of gentle wind to brush my cheek, and with every soft golden ray of warm sun to light my path, I found myself immersed in the toil of the lovely people—Indian, Nepalese, Pakistani, Filipino, Bahraini, Qatari, Kuwaiti, Arabian, and on and on—who call the Persian Gulf home. It was, and is, a beloved toil—an inner urge unquestionably demanding outer senses to illuminate the likeness casting shadows onto souls—that brings mystery—and Beauty—to the Middle East. Theirs is a toil to lift voices long yoked by an ancient world that finds its genesis in humble, but aged, beginnings over the distant thunder that breaks a foreboding silence of an unsettled humanity. And so it is, in the midst of the rolling thunder we hear words whisper of redolent hope—words echoing from a sweetened sanctuary of great expectation. All-consuming words.
Their words, not unlike Sarah’s own, give me pause to reflect: What lies ahead? How can I help? What prevents me (yes, me) from taking that first important step?
In my experiences, I have found perspective essential; it gives us a much-needed lens into what you refer to as the holding patterns of life. Ours, after all, is a world of paradox: Can I show I care without a big production? Can I behold majesty through the eyes of another? Can I step from the precipice knowing my wings will keep me aloft? Over the years, I have come to appreciate it is not a democratic world, for such a world of compromise and consensus does precious very little to inspire hope in the eyes of a child that must inherit the winds we leave behind. Yet, we are reminded, often to our dismay, it is a world taunted by a mediocrity that seeks homogeneity—a mediocrity bent on tightening its grip and keeping us precariously unready to welcome differences—and the abiding strengths—among us.
As Sarah aptly points out, we wrestle with mediocrity in our day-to-day routines, and we battle the fears mediocrity summons from the depths of our essence. Stumbling blocks and challenges join in the chorus, hastening us to appointed rounds when, in fact, we need so desperately to slow down.
As I see it, each of us is but a fragment of the same masterpiece; interconnected strands, if you will, radiating our own unique beauty in the dew-laden web of life. Only when we pause do we appreciate the deep-seated need for gentle winds to carry away the thunder so we might once again welcome a new day of sun to warm the soul of humanity. As our soul warms, we are put at ease, free to enjoy the scenery from the dusty gravel roads of our journey.
Even in the deserts of the Middle East, beauty ubiquitously stands in stark contrast for those with the heart to see. In my mind’s eye, I vividly recall how my grass paints the sandy hues a vibrant green; Jasmine, Plumeria, and Canon Lilies bloom with a pulsating energy among assorted bush and fuchsia bougainvillea; brightly winged butterflies and song-filled birds extol joyful arias as I kept vigil in a distant land among people not so unlike myself; and the sky drips a liquid blue just before the setting sun colors the night skies in a patchwork of amber and scarlet on its way to a gentle resting place under the quilted darkness to await the dawn of a new day.
With the new day comes the prospect for each of us to get hung up from time to time; mediocrity is like that. What’s important is our response. And, in Sarah, we have a shining example to follow because, in a very wonderfully open way, she is showing us mediocrity, with all of its temptations, is for escaping—there are more important matters to attend. Thank you, Sarah, for yet another encouraging post!
