#act and react

Quote Of The Day!

https://twitter.com/BrainyQuote/status/733658061894602752

In Ecclesiastes 10, we read of splitting logs, breaking walls, digging pits, and removing stones from a quarry. Each of these items is linked with something that may happen as a result. If you break a wall, a serpent may bite you. If you dig a pit, you may fall into it. If you working in a stone quarry, you may get hurt by a stone.

With all of these cause and effect type scenarios, we read and…

Act and react

by Helen Antholis

Is your life role your work role? Do you act the same way at work as you do at home? Are you a critical parent, a passive-aggressive spouse, a rebellious child, or an argumentative sibling? Or are you nurturing, open, inquisitive, and cooperative?   Many of us start out each day with good intentions and then that one person (you know, the one you can’t seem to win over or want to have anything to do with) changes everything. He changes your mood or she brings out the worst in you. You attack. Or you bite your lip and feel like running to mommy. You wish you could transfer or quit. Or maybe just take a sick day.   I wonder how much it has to do with life roles and their spillover into the workplace. Have you ever noticed how some people at work remind you of relatives? And how sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s terrible not.   Some of us act the same way at work as at home. For some, it’s intentional. For others, it’s an unconscious act. I pose that if you consciously consider your words and actions, you can bring out the best in others (and yourself) by adopting a style of communicating that creates a productive climate in the workplace. In fact, it can work both ways. Conscious choices at home can lead to a more stable and enjoyable environment in the home or among family members.   Here are some questions to consider as you assess how automatically you act and react.  

Say you’re a parent and a supervisor.

Do you treat your employees the way you treat your children? Do you play favorites?

Do you recognize and praise some and not others?

Do you manage their issues with wisdom or do you tend to show your frustration?

Do you allow for differences in maturity, experience, knowledge, and skill?

Are your expectations realistic?

Do you keep lines of communication open?

Say you’re a spouse and team leader/unit head.

Do you vie for your boss’s attention?

Do you share information with other unit heads?

Are you competitive at meetings?

Do you protect your staff?

Are you loyal to your colleagues? 

Say you’re a sibling and a team member/colleague.

Do you treat the team as a family?

Do you resolve conflict willingly?

Do you share the toys?

Do you expect your boss (parent) to take sides?

Say you’re a child and a subordinate.

Do you respect your boss?

Do you feel well-treated and respected?

Do you keep your boss informed?

Do you hunger for attention?

Do you think you know more?