I think this thread of caring is a very important one. Until I started my
own business, I was in a business where I inherited "lifers" and could
neither hire nor fire people because of budget and union issues. In
situations like this, you pretty much come face to face with some bottom
line issues. For me, the issues were 1) I couldn't do the job by myself,
therefore I needed the people who were there, whether I liked them or not.
2) I knew that I couldn't eradicate people's weakness...there was no time,
and I couldn't make up for all the factors that made certain people the
way they were. 3)I felt the only way to get the job done was to find
people's strengths, pull from these strengths and put people in positions
where they could contribute the most. 4)I knew I had to focus on what we
all needed to accomplish, provide baseline and improvement data, and not
get sidetracked by people I did not like.
What happened was I think I came face to face with who I was as a person.
As I looked at their weaknesses, I realized that I had plenty of
weaknesses, too. I wasn't liked by everyone, either.
As I looked for their strengths, I found I was beginning to like certain
people a lot better. As people were put in positions where they could use
their strengths and accomplish what needed to be done, they were pleased
with themselves and became more likeable. Some began to show initiative,
sign up for courses, etc.
My focus was on the job to be accomplished and helping people do what had
to be done. I would like to care for everyone. I am not sure it can be
done.
Rol Fessenden wrote:
>
> I would love to hear from other managers how they feel and how they work
> with people they do not care for. We all have people we get along with
> extremely well, and others that we do not at all enjoy being around. The
> latter, in my experience, are very difficult to mentor. I find it hard to
> work up the energy, but in addition, we have so many differences in values
> and ways of approaching life, that I simply find it difficult to relate to
> them.
-- Carol Sager, Sager Educational Enterprises http://www.dowtech.com/cliin/ Critical Linkages II Newsletter 21 Wallis Road,Chestnut Hill, MA 02167 V.(617)469-9644; Fax(same)-9639Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>