Monday, November 07, 2016
During lunch with a friend of mine named Mary- she shared a recent experience with her supervisor. “I was in the staff meeting yesterday and had what I believed to be a good solution to the problem being discussed. The excitement was coursing through my veins as I delivered my well thought out plan of action. My manager looked directly into my eyes with a cold stare as though I was not even there, turned abruptly to the rest of the team and said NEXT!” Mary was literally in tears recalling this hurtful moment. As we sat in silence offering Mary whatever support I could, my mind wandered back to a moment in my childhood. I was playing ball at the home of a friend who was not a particularly good baseball player. His father had wandered out to watch us play for a bit just in time to see his son make an error. As the boy turned to his father for support during this embarrassing moment, his father shook his head with disapproval and went back into the house. This incident had stuck with me for all these years because I never experienced that in my household. My parents were consistently supportive and loving. So to witness first hand, my friend looking to his father for support after making that error, only to see that he had left him vulnerable during that crucial moment. I thought if I cannot count on my family and closest friends in a time of need, who can I trust? In both of my friend’s cases, the crime was not excessive- but hurtful and easily avoided. In a leadership role, we need to understand the powerful impact our nonverbal communication has on our followers. There is a real need to adhere to the basic human principle of “Treating all people with respect.” It seems to me in this world of numbers and benchmarks; people are a forgotten resource. That is why I am starting a “Love campaign”. If interested in joining my effort, please contact me @ www.reinkansman.com
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