I'm struggling here. In trying to teach Joel how to be someone who both gives and gets respect, Brandan and I advised him to give his employers 2 weeks notice. Their response? Giving him zero hours on the schedule. At both jobs. After sitting at home for a week, they call him in yesterday to cover shifts when others didn't show up--and then proceed to again, give him zero scheduled hours the second week.
I realize this is an issue of poor management skills on their part, but it affects Joel directly. He needed the money from those 2 weeks, and told them he was leaving out of respect. What they are teaching him is he should just stay until his last day, without giving notice, and walk out, which is the complete opposite of what I am trying to teach him.
I know we should all just move on and let it go. I know it's not my place to say anything, or to get involved. But when I hear a voicemail left by his boss, on his phone, that begins with, "Hey Douchebag..." I can't help but be a bit angry at the way he's being treated. Had he been a crummy employee, fine, but he's not. He's dedicated, he shows up for work, he pulls double shifts when they ask him, and covers for others or comes in when they call him in at the last minute.
So, I continue to tell him that he did the right thing, and they are the ones at fault, but it isn't a very convincing argument at this point. I'm sure this will not be the last time I deal with this, but how do you teach what the right thing is, when the right thing brings the wrong results??
Maybe this will help explain...
ReplyDeleteDo It Anyway
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
~ Dr. Kent M. Keith
© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001
Wow. That's a hard one. I think the only thing to do is keep walking the walk--you know he trusts you, you know he listens to you, so you have to trust that eventually your message of respect and professionalism will stick. But, I think it's also a good way to start a conversation about how he thinks employees should be treated, and whether he thinks how he's treated is right or fair. My guess is that he knows it's not, but that he also knows that he did the right thing in telling them early. It sucks, but it's real life. All you can do is live in such a way that you're happy with your own decisions--which is what you're teaching him.
ReplyDelete