Ducks in a Row: Words vs. Actions
by Miki Saxon
Today’s message is simple and should come as no surprise: people are more attuned to what you do than what you say.
Following is an excerpt from a reader who is a middle manager in the health care industry.
“Things have been going pretty well in my world. But boy the bigger my organization gets the less personal it gets. Twice in the last few months I’ve e-mailed the concerns of my employees to higher ups and gotten back the message almost verbatim – “if they aren’t happy, perhaps this isn’t the best fit for them” – with no actually reference made to the concern I brought up.
Another Radiology Manager in the system is leaving because she kept hearing that at her manager meetings too and got sick of it.
Yet some of our evaluation points are about our “work family” and treating each other with respect, etc. and taking initiative. To me it appears we put the right thing down on paper and have an unspoken different approach all together on how to treat employees.”
The problem isn’t one of bigger = impersonal, nor is it exclusive to healthcare or large organizations.
The problem is either
- bad management, using “we are so busy” as a cover for “don’t bother us;” or
- hypocrisy, as in “do as I say, not as I do.”
Which is it?
Bad attitude or hypocrisy?
Does it matter?
Whatever the reason ignoring the problem yields the same result: increased turnover with associated costs, impaired efficiency as new people hit the learning curve and a likely drop in customer satisfaction.
Flickr image credit: carterse
