How is it these days that a single individual can spend their entire life working towards perfecting their performance at a company, using an ingrained theme of “what’s good for the company overall”, and not be remembered for it? How can that all go away in a matter of a few recently-held meetings?
Having been in the work force for 30 some years, I have had time to observe at several different levels in the work environment. I have come to a conclusion that no matter what level of the corporate ladder I have been on, there is a single practice that should at all costs be kept as a policy. If this policy is missing from a company, that company doesn’t stand a chance. The policy is one word…respect. Whether a person is striving to earn respect or give it, it doesn’t matter. What matters is if it is absent from the company.
From the top of the ladder: Corporate leaders who practice Realizing Exceptional Service Performed with Exemplary Consideration and Tolerance of others will undoubtedly captain an unsinkable ship. Moving right through the company to the bottom of the ladder to the newest employee, all who practice Responding to Employers with Submissive Performance and Exceptional Consideration and Tolerance of others around them.
We are so busy these days trying to keep up with the almighty competition that we forget to recognize one another. We forget the past as far as good/great achievements but are so quick to remember the mistakes. A company that chooses to recognize negatives without remembering all the positives will eventually find all negative attitudes, low or no morale, and employees who refuse to take pride in their performance. There is also dissention amongst the ranks to consider. Surely we must know that this is a surefire killer of any company.
I have found that of all the different companies I have worked in or have done business with, the ones I remember the most, the ones where I have learned the greatest from, the ones where the only reason the business no longer exits, is because the owners retired and closed their doors. These are the ones where the employers stood behind their employees with encouragement even when they felt the need in correcting or disciplining certain behavior. They also stood in front of them protecting them from any outside forces that came to criticize. In turn, the employees gave 100% willingly and often went above and beyond what was asked of them.
When respect is the foundation used and diligently maintained inside a company, there are no weak links for that “almighty competition” to chip away at.