DON'T STEAL MY JOY!

"If a man love the labour of any trade apart from any question of success or fame, the gods have called him." ~Robert Louis Stevenson

 

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." ~Aristotle 

Continuing the theme from my previous article, I had been thinking more about how we lead those members of our team who appear to have plateaued in their roles.

I am reminded of a time earlier in my career when I was meeting with one of my Accounting Specialists (we'll call her "Sherry"). Sensing that her abilities exceeded her present role, I had been encouraging Sherry for some time to learn new tasks, go back to school for additional education, and position herself for advancement in the Organization. I valued Sherry's contributions and loyalty to the Team. During this particular meeting, I was proposing assigning Sherry some new duties with greater responsibility, and I was suggesting that I delegate some of her current duties to another Accounting Specialist to alleviate some of Sherry's work load.

I'll never forget what came next. Sherry looked at me and said calmly but firmly, "Cris, don't steal my joy!"

A bit confused by her response, I clarified further, "Sherry, I am very pleased with your work on this Team, so I want to provide you with new opportunities." I continued sincerely but naively, "This is a good thing I'm suggesting."

"I would be happy to take on these additional tasks and the project, but please don't take away my current tasks," Sherry continued. "I enjoy doing them."

Aha! So that was the rub. In my zeal to develop my Team Member with advancement opportunities, I had neglected to fully understand how and why Sherry had come into the role I had found her in. Because I had viewed her outstanding work ethic, trustworthiness, and loyalty to me (as the Leader) and to her peers through my own lens, I had failed to inquire further into Sherry's own perception of her value to the Team and to the Organization.

Taken in that new light, but cognizant that Sherry would not be able to effectively shoulder all of the new duties with all of her existing duties, we negotiated to ensure that Sherry retained those prior duties she most valued and would remain the back-up on the additional duties that she agreed she would shed. As Leaders, we must shun the gut-level assumption that "resistance to change" or "secure comfort zones" are the only reasons member of our Team might wish to perform longstanding duties. As Sherry taught me that day, some employees simply--heavens!--ENJOY THEIR WORK.

Sherry had shown longtime loyalty to the Organization. She didn't want to set the world on fire, become the CEO, or lead a Division. But, like many members of the Teams we lead daily, Sherry wanted to contribute to the Team's success, further the objectives of the Organization, and have fun doing it. Really not so bad when you view the win-win outcome against the philosophical backdrop of the likes of Aristotle and Robert Louis Stevenson.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Are YOU fully informed about the individual reasons why your Team Members gravitate to and excel at the work that they perform? If not, when will YOU schedule that conversation?

LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."  -Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."  JAMES 1:25, New King James Version


As we enjoy and participate in the active celebration of our great Nation's 234th birthday, I find it instructive to return to the Document itself and the scriptural precursor, The Bible, to remind ourselves that The United States of America was born and remains a blessed nation. Our Founders, beginning with the 17th century settlers who sought refuge from British religious persecution and leading to the brave men and women who courageously signed and defended The Declaration of Independence against 18th century British tyranny, derived their Faith and Grace directly from the Creator, God Almighty.

I find it equally instructive that "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" are "among" our "unalienable rights"...we are not simply limited to those ennumerated rights. God has provided his People throughout history with much opportunity for freedom, and when exercised faithfully, fairly, and fruitfully, our Nation has grown and prospered, enjoying the fruits of our combined labors. George Washington avoided political party affiliation, recognizing the tendency for partisanship to undermine the productive collaboration necessary to forge enabling legislation vital to the efficient functioning of a national government. Thomas Jefferson trusted the power of the individual citizen to direct the Nation's affairs by electing his/her representatives to travel to the seat of government, draft sensible legislation, and cast well-informed votes.

Both men, Washington and Jefferson, together with many others recognized--and continue to recognize--that our unalienable rights must be defended, respected, and exercised.

• Sometimes defended upon the battlefield, domestic or internationally, and for that WE MUST PRAY FOR AND THANK OUR BRAVE AND SELFLESS ACTIVE AND VETERAN SERVICE MEMBERS.
• Sometimes defended in the courtrooms, legislatures, and executive offices of our cities & towns, states, and federal government, and for that we must pray for continued fidelity for our elected leaders and appointed officials.
• Respecting and exercising our unalienable rights remains incumbent upon each of us as citizens. We each have an obligation to lead this nation, one citizen at a time, daily. When we cease to respect and exercise our rights, those rights will erode and eventually be eliminated or forgotten.

You and I, and our Families, our Neighbors, and our Congregations...we are today's Defenders of the God-given Rights and Responsibilities ennumerated and implied in The Declaration of Independence and United States (and State) Constitution. Go forth this Independence Day and proudly proclaim the Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness for which so many, including you, have labored so hard for and died for. Amen.

TODAY'S QUESTION: When evaluating prospective candidates for 2010 elections, have YOU measured their commitment to preserving, defending and respecting YOUR God-given, unalienable rights?

HEALTH CARE: ANGELS AND DEMONS

The current multifaceted and very visible debate surrounding the proposed health care overhaul legislation provides us an excellent opportunity to further explore our theme of PRINCIPLED COMMUNICATION. If a fiscally responsible, market-based solution that reduces cost and reduces the number of uninsured American citizens is to prevail, then we shall all have to focus more upon what the sensible individuals (and their constituencies/organizations) on each size of the issue AGREE upon. We must all appeal to our better angels and defy the demons of doom if that solution is to emerge. Put aside petty partisanship and focus upon the basics.

1) America is a Pro-Life nation. The Declaration of Independence spoke of the "the separate and equal station to which...nature's God entitle them...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life..." We would be hard-pressed to find a Christian, Jew, or Muslim who would condemn a stranger to death simply over economics. Thus, to be a pro-life nation, we must look beyond economics and recognize that access to health care is congruent with God's command many times over in the Bible to look out for the poor, the widows and the orphans.

2) Access to Health Care reduces costs associated with absenteeism. Some 85% of American citizens participate in a health care plan. Preventative care detects warning signs of early-stage disease, allowing for the timely application of lifestyle changes, medications, and medical technology to prolong life. Most employers provide access to health care plans because it is humane, but also because healthy employees show up for work more often, have higher morale, and manufacture/sell more products/services. Contrast that forethought with the obscene costs thrust upon private citizens and companies when uninsured individuals seek last-minute chronic care at America's emergency rooms. Like our grandmothers told us, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

3) America is a free-market nation whose business ingenuity can overcome any challenge. Malicious slander and venomous lies won't attract stakeholders to the table. Whether applied to putting a man on the moon in less than a decade or curing cancer, our free market economy can often provide timely solutions to critical problems when dialogue is dignified. While government can certainly be a partner with private industry through appropriate legislation (i.e. the Interstate Highway System, NASA, Medicare, the Armed Forces, university research & development), government shouldn't be running the businesses themselves.

Thus,

• Let's first acknowledge that all of God's children should have the opportunity to access health care as needed.
• Then let us stop beating up on doctors, insurance companies, and employers, and instead invite all stakeholders to brainstorm and recognize their many points of agreement.
• Finally, let the stakeholders, both public and private, work together without the venomous rhetoric to develop a market-based system that will allow (but not mandate) all American citizens to access affordable health care and the doctors/hospitals of their own choosing in a fiscally responsible manner.

Sometimes it's seems easier to digress into the demons and doomsayers, but our nation has always risen above (think Berlin Wall coming down) when all sides on an issue allowed their better angels to prevail. No one loses if the solution is God-inspired, pro-life, and market-based.

TODAY'S QUESTION: How do we reframe the dialogue surrounding a divisive issue to (1) increase consensus, and (2) to reduce non-essential cacophony, so that a majority will embrace our sensible solution?