So how then, if you have been seeing people as objects do you turn and view them as people? Prayer is your best option. I saw these letters from little 2nd graders…
...and after laughing at this, I thought how often do I not get what I wanted but rather what God wanted for me? Like little Joyce, I fake the appreciation for what He had planned for me. And then just how often do I remind God that He did not give me what I asked for? Is it because I view him like a genie in a bottle?
As leaders, are we asking God for the things we want or are we asking to walk in His will? More simply, are we asking our employees what they want? What do they really want? Do they want to be viewed as a person or as an object? Maybe, just maybe sometimes they like being seen as both? Terry Bacon wrote a great book, for people like me who like quick “how to” books and lists, titled What People Want. It defines just who your employees are and what they want. Who are your employees? Well, they are people; people who want to be trusted, people who want to be challenged, people who want to feel good about themselves, people who want to feel competent, people who want to be appreciated for who they are, people who want to be excited about what they are doing and people who want to be involved in something they are passionate about. The common theme here is People. And those people have needs that need to be met, and met by you, their leader. Although you are not their genie in a bottle, you are their mentor and authority figure.
In previous blogs, I have talked about how important trust is in the manager-employee role. As Terry Bacon puts it “trust is built or destroyed with every one of the manager’s actions, decisions, reviews, communications and meetings.” You also have to consider this is the employee’s perception of trust which is based on their experience, and perception is reality to most people. It is where their expectations have either been met or not met by you. That is enough to feel like you are walking on egg shells but there is good news…you can change. You can take a stand and let God move you into his shadow and allow Him to work through you with your people. The other option is to keep spinning your wheels trying to do it all by yourself. Will pride hold you back from letting God have control of this area of your life? Will you let him have your chess set and money unlike Raphael, the little second grader or will you let old habits die hard?
Is it time to switch your thinking? Tammy