#employers #employees #ToxicWorkEnvironments #BullyEmployers #WorkingOurOfFear #ServantLeaders Certain employers believe fear is the best motivator. If you are afraid to come to work, or if you fear doing something in your job that would upset your boss(es), can you really work like that? In the employer’s mind, they can dominate people who are afraid. In non-employment parlance, that’s called bullying. Employers would be better served, and get more from employees, if they created a work environment that was not only relatively free of fear and toxic behavior, but also inspiring and protective of employees. Employers who believe their employees are their best and most valuable resources will protect those employees. Certainly, with any job, there will be chores that an employee does not love to do. But, those chores should be few and well distributed among employees. Mostly, though, employees – even if they don’t necessarily look forward to coming to work – should feel they will be well treated at work. They should feel that their contributions are not only valuable but cherished. If they feel that way, they will give the employee all their efforts, perhaps even more than the employer is paying for. In short, employers should serve their clients AND their employees. How does a bully employer expect his or her employees to perform under duress? How does such an employer expect employees to perform with chaos in the workplace? How does such an employer expect employees to perform in a toxic work environment, in which they are harassed or taken advantage of? Remember, employees are people. They are indeed valuable tools, but they are people first. They expect to be treated with dignity and respect. Remember, as an employer, you don’t know everything. You may know a lot, but you don’t know everything. Employees, more often than not, know things that you don’t. As an employer, you are not the only one with valid ideas. Some of your employees will think of things that you did not. So, as an employer, don’t be a bully. Instead, be a servant leader. If you want people to work hard for you, you have to work hard for them. You may not be able to give them everything they want, or even everything they need. But you have to show that you are giving them as much as you are able. If you do, people will want to work for you. If you don’t, you’ll continue to be chronically short of staff, and your company will not perform for your clients the way the clients expect. Serve your employees, and they will serve you to a much greater degree. Peter
#think #do #FeelGood #RunGovernmentLikeABusiness Don’t overthink it. Think before you act. Measure twice, cut once. If it feels good, do it. These adages produce contradictions. As one goes through life, one has to make decisions. If one has a job, one has to make decisions on the job. But, how do YOU make decisions? Are you more spontaneous? Or, do you think, and think again, before you act? If you work in government, how you get to a result is as important, sometimes more so, than the result itself. Those who “want to run government like a business” are misguided. Certainly, rules can be a burden. But most of them are there to ensure fairness to all in the process, and to be sure those acting are doing so legally, ethically and in compliance with regulations. It’s easy to sit back and say we don’t need all those rules and laws. Those who feel that way may be reveling in how the federal government is currently operating. But, acting quickly and decisively can actually hurt people who don’t deserve to be hurt. When procedure is important, as it is in most work situations, it’s always better to think before you act. In social situations, impulsiveness sometimes can be fun. Today, however, mistakes are happening all around us. Cruelty seems to be desirable. It may seem fun to watch, but those watching with glee could be hurt by much of this. We may not know how badly it will hurt the unsuspecting until the damage is already done. Certainly, it’s easier to wield a hatchet than use a scalpel. But, hatchets are imprecise. Mistakes will occur. When so many people could be affected, more thought is necessary before acting. Analysis paralysis can exist in some situations. But, the actor needs to know how his actions will help or hurt, and whom his actions will help or hurt. So, if you think before you act, generally you are better for it. Remember to call before you dig. Measure twice, cut once. Give more than a passing thought to important decisions. You need to know what, or who, will be hurt by your actions. If you don’t care what, or who, gets hurt, shame on you. Remember, someone watches every action. Sometimes, you may not know who is watching. But, everyone should strive to do the right thing, no matter who is watching. Peter
#heat #flavor #SpicyFood #SeasonedFood #cooking #eating Some people like spicy food. The hotter, the better. Others prefer food that is seasoned, but not spicy. Seasoning adds flavor. Heat is NOT flavor. Eating should be a decadent pleasure. Your taste buds should thoroughly enjoy what you are eating, with other parts of the body mostly unaffected. When eating overly spicy food, other parts of the body can react in unpleasant ways. Your lips and tongue may tingle. Your nose may run. Your ears may get hot. That’s not to mention what may be happening, or will happen, in your gut. In an Amazon TV ad, the lady who makes the spicy sauce for chicken wings tells the eater: “Don’t touch your face” with the sauce on his hands. After all, his face might burn. If you take pleasure in eating, it should not be an endurance test. Many of those who enjoy spicy food don’t get the reactions listed above. Or, if they do, they relish the displeasure. Some even want to make EVERYTHING they eat spicy. Some chefs even put spicy peppers or pepper flakes in chocolate, or other sweet things. For those not expecting heat, it can take pleasure out of enjoying something sweet. Certainly, different people have different tastes and tolerances. But, let’s not confuse heat with flavor. Heat is, well, just heat. Flavor is the proper mix of tastes and seasoning that turns bland food into something very tasty. Those who cook or serve need to warn diners of heat in certain dishes. Chinese and other ethnic restaurants often do that. But, if you are a cook who loves heat, don’t presume everyone does. Don’t presume that something you may think of as “mild,” or, with a very gentle “kick” that everyone will react the same way when eating it. If you are sensitive to heat and you visit places like New Orleans, ask a lot of questions before you order food. In general, cajun food is spicy and creole food is not. So, if are among those who consider spicy food flavorful, other people don’t see heat as flavor. If you cook for others whose tastes you may not know, season the food as needed without the heat. Those who like the heat will add hot sauce to it, while those who don’t like heat will enjoy the food as prepared. Heat should be used FOR cooking, not necessarily in cooking. Peter
#gratitude #respect #DemandingGratitude #DemandingRespect #people It’s been said we all should have an attitude of gratitude. Indeed, we need to be grateful for all that is good in our lives – family, friends and other blessings we may have. We should also respect those who earn our respect. But, when gratitude and respect are demanded, rather than earned or given, it sets a different tone. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. That adage plays well in sales, but not in terms of gratitude and respect. If you have earned respect and been given gratitude, whether stated or not, you should not have to ask for or demand it. It’s probably better that you don’t know someone respects you, or is grateful to you. Gratitude and respect are not – or should not be – transactable. I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine. That is a transaction. Those who ask for or demand gratitude or respect are likely not going to return the favor. Nor should the giver of gratitude and respect expect anything in return. Be nice to me. One may see that on a T-shirt as a joke. But, if someone is constantly asking for someone, or everyone, to be nice to him or her, it makes one wonder why that person would have to ask in the first place. Is everyone mean to him or her? Does everyone not give him or her the time of day? If the answer to either question is yes, the person has to ask himself or herself why that is. Very likely, it has less to do with the people with whom the person interacts, and more to do with the person himself. Who’s going to win this battle? I am. I usually do. Such a question may be posed to a parent with an antsy or misbehaving child. To the parent, it should not be a battle to be won. The parent should have full control of the situation. If the parent does not, it’s usually on the parent, not the child. When an adult is in the same situation with another adult, and that person thinks he or she always wins no matter what, there may be some injustice there. It’s my way, or the highway. People who feel this way have an oversized sense of self, which can be destructive. In most human interactions, goals can be the same, but the paths to get to them may be different. In other instances, the goals are as different as the paths. That can lead to impasse, or worse. To summarize, treat others as you would like to be treated. Don’t expect people to treat you differently from how you treat them. Try to give gratitude and earn respect whenever possible. Expect nothing in return – not even the acknowledgement of the respect or gratitude. Then, give gratitude and respect, whether or not you get it in return. If you do right by others, others are more likely to do right by you. There should be no need for demands. If you give with good intentions, chances are you will get in return. Peter
