Wednesday Wisdom - How Do You See Them?

HOW DO YOU SEE THEM?     

                

   

"The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become."  
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

When I was still in my teens, a wise and inspired advisor counseled me to "have an influence for good wherever your lot may be cast." Over the years I have learned that in any situation the key to having a positive influence is in the way I see people, as Goethe says.

Take, for instance, my role as a business owner. If I question the intentions, reliability, competence, or initiative of my employees, I'm likely to micromanage them, create lots of workplace rules and regulations, and fail to trust them with important information and assignments. The result: workers who can't seem to get the job done unless I'm constantly looking over their shoulders; workers who sit around waiting for instructions, fearful of offending the boss; workers who are out the door at the earliest opportunity.

On the other hand, if I see my employees as responsible, creative, trustworthy, hard-working, and loyal and I treat them that way, guess what? I consistently end up with responsible, creative, trustworthy, hard-working, and loyal team members. I'm pleased to say that in my company I have a work force that gets the job done whether I'm there or not. They take the initiative, seek innovative solutions, and give their all in every situation. That is how I see them, that is how I treat them, and that is what they have become.

So what kind of people do you want around you? It's all up to you, because what you see is what you get.