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Love’s Labors LostSep 02 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line The work environment can be a vehicle for delivering life lessons. Seen or unseen, our children are always watching and listening. May the lessons we teach them be positive ones. No this is not about William Shakespeare’s comedy. But it does have much in common with one of the more memorable lines from that play. You know, the line which reminds us that “ . . . the course of love never did run smooth”. My Dad has been gone for more than eight years now. While I miss him always, two days each year are especially mindful. On Father’s Day our family traditionally gathered at the home of my sister [SurgRN911]. It simply is not the same since Dad’s passing. The other difficult day for me is Labor Day. Yes, you read correctly, Labor Day. This connection may seem strange but consider this. I am blessed with a good education that includes an MBA and a doctorate. I am also an adjunct professor of business at a local university. One would suspect that my sense of “business ethics” would spring from that background. Not hardly – my Father laid that ethical foundation some thirty-seven years ago. My Father left the Navy after World War II and returned to the civilian workforce. There were not many jobs for young fighter pilots so he tried his hand – and failed – in a number of fields. Then he discovered his niche in retail management. He began as one of the assistant managers, moved up to “the” assistant manager, and finally became a manager in his own right. He progressed from smaller to larger stores as his business acumen grew. Each job change meant that our family was uprooted from neighborhood and school. The litany was a diverse one for those years. Fall River, Massachusetts, Bristol, Connecticut, Gloversville, New York, Providence, Rhode Island. When the children of other managers visited the stores, the employees often gave them special favors. A free soda fountain drink, a candy bar, the run of the toy department. As a small lad I was kind of cute and had a way with words even then. Many of the employees liked to have me around and were quick to try to make me feel welcome. Dad, however, made it crystal clear that I was not to accept favors from the staff. That – to him – would be abusing his position. And he would have none of that! When I entered my teens I would often go to his store with him on the weekends. He loved me and was happy that I wanted to spend time with him. But this was the workplace. If I went – I helped. Not “worked” mind you, but “helped”. You see I was not old enough to have a work permit and Dad was a stickler for the law. Therefore I was NOT paid – in money or in kind. Dad always said that “learning about business” was payment enough. When I finally reached the age of 15 I did get my working papers. Being too young to drive – job opportunities were hard to come by. After much coaxing, Dad agreed that I could work part time at his store. But there were lots of conditions. My grades had to stay up. I would do whatever work needed to be done – without question or complaint. Hardest of all, in the workplace he was NOT my Father – he was the manager. William Shakespeare was right, “ . . . the course of love never did run smooth”. [Two companion postings, The Mill, The Miller, and The Miller’s Eldest Son {Pt. 1} http://www.epinions.com/kifm-review-663E-89B1295-3940CE78-prod6 and The Mill, The Miller, and The Miller’s Eldest Son {Pt. 2} http://www.epinions.com/kifm-review-4BF6-89E2E41-3940D66D-prod6, provide some insight into just how demanding – and uncompromising – my Father could be in the workplace.] My Father did fine in the retail trade when attitude, loyalty to the employees, and hard work were the metrics. He eventually opened his own hardware store. For a number of years things went well. But he ultimately floundered when computers, management science, and predatory pricing became the keys to success in that competitive industry. It wasn’t that he couldn’t learn. He just never accepted those ways of “doing business”. My father managed to balance work and home in his own unique way. Among his methods was a single set of ethics that he applied across all situations. At the pinnacle of that set was the belief that all people – employee, family, relative, or stranger – should always be treated with fairness and respect. Dad often advised me to “Watch out for your people, Gung, and your people will watch out for you.” Yes, I have degrees hanging on the wall. I also have a Pentium III on my desk and a Palm Pilot in my briefcase. I manage revenue streams in the millions and can create Excel spreadsheets in a flash. Our staff more often communicates by email or voice mail than face-to-face. I even understand the implications of the Human Resources policies; so I guess I am a fairly modern manager in most respects. Last Thursday we were in the final process of making a new hiring decision. The last of the candidates stopped by my office after completing her interviews with the staff. “Mr. G”, she said, “I truly hope you find a place for me in this organization.” “I learned a lot during my discussions with the staff.” “They told me that you would work me hard but always treat me fairly.” “More importantly, they said that you would be the first to defend me and the last to desert me.” “You sound just like my Dad.” “Have a great Labor Day weekend!” I guess that your love’s labors were not lost on me, Dad. I only hope that I passed them on faithfully. I miss you. Happy Labor Day! © 2001  |
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