I’m going as fast as I can and apparently that’s not good enough.
What do you mean?
I’m all about efficiency. I’m always looking for smarter, better, faster ways to get things done because we’re measured by our results. I can’t take time to check my employees’ temperature and ask,’ Are you happy? Do you like me? Are our customers nice to you’? I don’t care how they feel, I just want them to get the job done because my bonus depends on it. What’s so hard about that?
You tell me.
People want to be coddled; treated like children who need constant care and feeding. I want to treat them like adults.
How do adults want to be treated?
Well, like adults. If you don’t like something, tough, get over it. The world is too big, bad and ugly to pamper you by pretending that problems don’t exist. They do.
How does your opening comment, “I’m going as fast as I can and apparently that’s not good enough” play into all this?
My boss just told me I need to get a new attitude because the one I have is driving away customers and employees.
Did that get your attention?
Of course it did, I’m not an idiot. If I want to keep my job, I have to do it his way.
How badly do you want to keep your job?
Badly enough to pretend that I care about any of these people, even though I don’t.
Sounds like the same old attitude wrapped up in another bad attitude.
Tell me something I don’t know.
Okay, how’s this? Customers have a clear choice about where they shop and they act on it, without hesitation. If they want to save time, they look on line. If they want personal service and are willing to commit the time and energy to get it, they look local. Once there, they want sales and responsive, respectful service; when they have questions they want informed, courteous, helpful answers; and yes, they want efficiency but not at the expense of consideration. They want their patronage appreciated and they won’t think twice about changing providers if they’re treated like names without faces.
An employee’s behavior is often a reflection of where he or she works and the public they serve. Most workers want to feel connected; to know their jobs and do them well, to provide service in an efficient and respectful way, and in turn they want to be respected, appreciated, and compensated for their effort. If that’s not what they get they’ll look for it somewhere else.
Your job, as their boss, is to set the right tone and focus on results. That means creating and sustaining an environment that enables employees to do their best by providing the best training available and consistently modeling appropriate, constructive behavior in response to those circumstances you describe as ‘big, bad, and ugly’.
If you want to save time, build trust, accountability and a team that focuses on results that come from doing the right thing, the right way.
