Creating good employees. Part 14 

Kind words. 

Amazingly enough, especially in the workplace, kind words are far and few between. Why is it so hard for bosses, colleagues and co-workers to say nice things? 

Why is it easier to put people down rather than to pull them up? Is it fear, or is it a caste system at work? Like jail, the newbie gets picked on, pushed around and bullied until you see that there is some reason to befriend them? Maybe you realize that their skills complement yours or you fear them because they know more than you. 

Bosses often fall into this misguided step. Bosses cannot do everything and cannot know everything. That is why they have you. 

Remember this. 

You are at your job, at the position you have because there is a job to be done. You could be a data entry person or a librarian. It makes no difference… if you are a librarian, please find another form of employment, the libraries are in danger. 

Regardless you are there at your job because you are needed and wanted. You were hired to fill a role. Your boss and the people around you need you. To be a good employee, you must bring value to the team around you. You must fit in… 

If you do not, or feel that you can do more or be able to improve, let’s hope you have managers and people around you to talk to. Hopefully, you have a boss that welcomes input and does not dismiss your insight.  

The approach. 

All bosses should be approachable. Do you fear your boss or your supervisor? Don’t forget, you are a cog in the wheel… If you break or break down the machine will hopefully miss you. If the machine moves noticeably better without you then you also have an issue. However, let’s hope that you are a valued member of a team with brilliant ideas. Let’s also hope that you have a great boss that is equally good at receiving those ideas. These little things are what make a good team. 

The ideas. 

Sometimes you need to convince people. One little technique I often use when presenting something goes like this. 

I have an idea to improve this in this and this way. I wait for someone to say negative things and someone to say positive things. I give them both a chance to speak as to why one is positive and why one is negative.  

I give the negative commenter a chance to improve my idea. I also give a positive commenter to further improve my idea. Once they both contributed, I turn my idea into their idea. As Janet said and as Tim also commented, how can we further improve on their suggestions. This gives them ownership of my idea and helps me move forward with the team. 

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