I sought to assemble a team of world class players…a machine that could not be stopped…one that I could implicitly depend upon…when things got tough…I knew they had my back…and would be with me wherever we were!
Did I succeed?
A shopping trip to remember…
Out of necessity, I did the unthinkable! I went shopping! It was grocery shopping or I had to stop eating…so I “sucked it up” and visited a store that my family often uses!
I found a cart and proceeded to walk the aisles quickly and systematically grabbing what I needed…the faster I get out of here…the better!
In my rush…I made a wrong turn and found myself in a “grungy” back corner…of the store…I felt kind of stupid for wandering there…”this was a waste!” I thought.
Then I heard a commotion, nearby, and looked in its direction. Coming from an open door, of what appeared to be the store manager’s office were voices. I overheard an older employee defending his actions…a meager attempt to help a customer…the manager cut him short and said…”if we do that for all of our customers…do you know what that will cost us?” “That was her problem…not ours!”
I was not the only one hearing this ado! Outside of the office stood a small army of people…Who,
I believe were also eavesdropping on the conversation and were quietly editorializing the situation…they sounded like sports commentators!
I gathered that these people either worked for or with, this person…and “came” to be supportive…but in truth I saw no supportive behavior at all! Just hollow words of pumped up people!
My interest peaked…I peered around the corner and recognized the face of the guy sitting at attention…his picture was on the front/inside wall…3 times! On plaques…Proclaiming him “EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH”
I also recognized 4 of the people in the “mob.” They too, had the honor of being selected as “Employees of the month!” Gather together in close proximity…5 of the best people within this organization!
They knew and could recognize good performance…they were abhorred by the treatment that this guy was being given and if “they had half a mind” would walk in there and tell the boss a thing of two…
YET NOONE DID!
We should go and see the boss’ boss…but NOONE DID!
I guess not one of them had half a mind! Each had some kind of an excuse!
How sad…in the short time that I was there…he got fired…”let go”…he was “too much of a liability…”
Here is what I determined brought this all about. An elderly lady, of very meager means, came into the store and did her monthly shopping. As she was leaving, her cart spilled and a case of eggs and a few bottles broke. This employee was just arriving for his shift ( as usual, ½ hour early…so he could walk the furthest reaches of the parking lot and gather the carts…to help the people whose real job it is to collect carts). As he was doing that, he saw the incident. He knew this lady…she was a regular…and also knew that she would not have those things to eat until she received her next social security check. He helped her pick everything up and loaded her car.
Then he took inventory of everything that was damaged and replaced it…no charge…
He could not afford to pay for the items…but he offered to do so by working overtime to making up the difference…
“OVERTIME!?!?!?!!!” “That was out of the question…we do not do overtime!”
OH Yes…Because he was helping this lady…he punched in 12 minutes late…
AND he got fired…for all of this…
”I run a tight ship!” I heard the manager proudly proclaim…”I will not have someone like you hurt my reputation…”
The discussion was quickly coming to a close…and the mob quickly scurried in different directions…many of the people mumbled under their breath that “if they didn’t have a paycheck to worry about…”
Excuses…excuses…for not doing the right thing…
What would stop a person from doing the right thing?
If one is truly committed to REAL Leadership…they have stand without compromise…
How deep does one’s commitment to, “what is right” go?
I am committed to the team they say…
I am committed to my leader they say…
I am a strict adherent of Customer orientation they say…
Their words are no more substantial than those of a mime!
Wait? Mimes don’t talk…do they?
Right! The values of their words were as if they had said nothing…
And…their actions? That is what a mime is known for….right?
Entertaining for a moment…but like any mime…a painted face…and…then they get obnoxious!
Nothing more! (I guess I have a right to criticize the art of pantomime! My cousin is a professional mime!)
I see that people only commit to the point that it serves them…if there is a risk for them…NO WAY! (I have only one or two examples that are the opposite, in my entire career)
I tarried…as much as I hate shopping…I stood there sickened…at the manager’s ineptitude (door open and his plain stupidity) and for the most of all…because his “loyal” mob did nothing!
I could not walk away and let that manager think he was right…or justified…why allow him to continue to delude himself…
The guy walked out of the office…physically shaken…I stopped him and told him to sit in a chair just outside of the office (he complied) and I went in…
I sat down in the chair that was; just a few seconds before…the chair of a victim!
Without looking up…the manager started to talk…”I made my decision…” then he looked up…startled…changed his entire demeanor!
“Can I help you?” he asked me…in a sickeningly sweet tone…that I now knew was a total façade!
I told him that I overheard the discussion and termination of this employee…and had to give my opinion…his face hardened…and his temperament followed…
He told me that it was “none of my business…and…
” I immediately interrupted him…“IT IS MY BUSINESS”…I responded! “I am a regular customer of this establishment”…”part of what I spend here…goes into your and this employee’s pay”…”so IT IS AS MUCH “MY BUSINESS” AS IT WAS HIS”…”please drop that hard-ass” “I have a business to run” attitude…and listen to me!”
Without stopping and going into the details…I explained that he broke many of the cardinal rules of organizational management…
Open door during a discipline interview…UNHEARD OF!
Firing someone for Customer Service…If it wasn’t so sick and demented…
And on and on!
I felt the need to vindicate the wronged employee…but I kept it to the facts…
I was livid but I kept it in check!
I told him that from my perspective…he needed to reconsider…I stopped short of saying that I was going to stop patronizing…
Threats, at this point, would serve no purpose!
I also stopped short of a “world-wide boycott of his store” and writing letters to the corporate office and the chamber of commerce and better business bureau…but man…I felt like it!
When facts are on your side...you do not have to do stupid or risky things things...or...
Things you do not want to do!
It was simply..."here are the facts..." not..."here are the facts and here is what I am going to do..."
That word "and" sure can get a person into trouble!
Discipline, more often than not, is about what not doing something than it is about doing it!
I regress...but hey! LOL!
My logic and controlled demeanor (discipline) seemed to break through…he said "I (You're) was right…but it was too late…the guy left…"
I said "No it wasn’t"…and a simply said (without raising my voice in the least)…come back in here…
The wronged employee did…I couldn’t help but notice him trying to cover a smile…and the manager immediately apologized to the employee!
I was shocked!
He explained that my “coming in” and willingness to give it all up…changed his perspective…and helped him see it from a broader and more accurate view!
Then he asked the ex-employee if he was willing to still work here…because he really didn’t want to fire him…now…
The employee smiled and said yes…
I left them and went back to my shopping…
I was pumped!!!!! So I just walked it off…
As I walked around I thought about how much easier my encounter would have been if that small army would have walked in that office and presented their perspective. That was an insane situation!
Sanity is defined as the perspective of the majority...If a number of people present a perspective...then the individual perspective is called into question...
When it is one against another, the loser is automatically the one having less power!
If they would have gone in...I would have had to do nothing...he wuldn't have gotten fired!
That is water under the bridge! I hope that they learn that someday!
Finally…I was calm enough to finish my shopping trip and made my way to the front…
As I checked out…there was a buzz at the front of the store and the employees, who were present in the mob, were now working like mindless ants in the front of the store. Then one of them noticed me, tapped another one and ever so slightly nodded in my direction…soon most of them were pensively pointing at me and whispering something to each other!
It was rather unnerving…but I knew what it was all about!
I was the guy who stood up for the “cart checker guy!”
I quietly paid what I owed…loaded my cart…and headed out!
One of the ladies who had her picture on the wall, caught up to me…and grabbed the cart from me…
She said that she wanted to help…I knew she wanted to talk…
As we walked…she thanked me for doing what she didn’t have the “guts” to do!
I tried to humbly tell her that “she was welcome,” but she would not let me talk…
Without taking a breath…she went on to say that…”you know what I learned?”
Before I could answer…she said…
“Every time told him…you’re the best”…” or “I am totally behind you” or “I’ll go anywhere you go” …I LIED to him!
When it was time for me to step up…I failed!
I let him down…and more importantly…I let myself down…and you know…
“I am a Christian,” she said…”I let God down…”
I need to apologize to them both!
I finally got a word in…”I don’t know about God…but, here’s your chance to apologize to His child…”
As we approached the exit…I had seen that the “fired and rehired” employee was back at his station…checking carts!
Our eyes caught…he smiled and winked!
…And my escort stopped and begged his forgiveness…leaving me to push my own cart out to the car…
He listened to her…but he checked my cart while he listened…he had his priorities right! At least from my perspective LOL!
I left them hugging! Hers was heartfelt…He seemed a bit uncomfortable!
Sounds like a cool fairy tale and every one lived happily ever after!
Who knows?
I shuttered at the parallel world that I just left! It was way too close to my heart!
What I do know…I had a chance to be an advocate…to test and put meaning behind what I stood for…to be that guy’s hero…and I stepped up…and did something…
BIG DEAL!
When it is about a person…the team…or a customer…or a leader…
When it is about “what is right…”
There are no costs too high!
It is and it isn't a BIG DEAL!
It is just what should be done!
That is just who I am…
I learned long ago that this is the final test of a MBB…until you have proven that…you are not a MBB…
Until you have tested and proven that aspect of your character…you are nothing more than a fly-by night, MBB, correspondence course graduate…
I refuse to certify any MBB until they have proven that they are capable of that kind of passion and leadership!
Have you learned the real lesson that I have been trying to teach you?
It is the lesson of character…
I think that lady grasped it! I just do not know if she’ll be capable of stepping up the next time the opportunity is afforded!
One is not a real leader until you have the “guts” to act in defense of “what is right.” When that behavior is an automatic part of your nature…
Until then…you are a “wanna-be”…a mime!
Let me challenge you…Is “standing up for what is right,” part of you…or are you one of those obnoxious mimes?
Have you recently, had an opportunity to stand your ground…for a coworker…or for the sake of a customer…or the team…or your leader?
What did you do?
Did you say…It is not my fight?
Or did you take action?
What do you claim to be?
Are you consistent through and through?
If you mouthed the words and did not act…you are a hypocrite…a liar!
You have not found the real lesson of character and passion!
What makes me sad is how deafening the silence of mimes are…
They stand and make the movements…but it is for entertainment purposes only…
…in the end…they are painted, hollow and obnoxious!
It is a noise that I hate!
Do not tell me that you are a team player or a friend…if you haven’t stepped out and took a stand for what was right!
What makes me pround that I know you know and can teach, this important lesson...
Enough Said!
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