We Grow What We Feed

If we tell an employee they're great and capable of anything, the human condition ensures we see more behavior that aligns with those sentiments. If we tell - or treat - someone like they're lazy, untrustworthy, and require constant supervision, they'll morph to fit that sentiment as well.

This is psychology. And middle management isn't often skilled enough to understand this.

My Best Job: The Irish Pub

I saw people protect the interests of the business. Not because they were asked to, but because they were given trust - and they wanted to keep that trust, so they became it.

My Worst Job: The Insurance Brokerage

Very few of the managers treated employees respectfully. They gossiped, talked behind people's backs, promoted one another. They weren't leaders. They were bullies who could only micromanage, inserting themselves into every corner of every project until workers couldn't breathe. By the time I left, the management team lacked skill, lacked leadership, and lacked understanding of human behavior..

When people quit - often without notice - they took folders of data showing the company wasn't doing right by employees or consumers. They turned the evidence over to the board of insurance. There was a huge lawsuit that settled for tens of thousands of dollars. This wasn't accomplished by one person acting alone. This was many individuals participating - and those who didn't actively participate knew what was happening, but said nothing.

Managers sometimes forget that the opposite of a loyal employee isn't simply an employee that lacks loyalty - it's a disloyal employee. One who actively goes against the interests of the company. This isn't because they're bad employees seeking destruction. It's getting back at a business that stole from them - whether financially, mentally, emotionally, or all of the above. It's an immature form of payback, but when businesses expect more from employees than they're willing to pay for, it doesn't feel immature. It feels earned.

When you treat people like they don't deserve trust, they will act in untrustworthy ways.

Management determines the behavior of the organization. Fear breeds sabotage. Respect breeds guardianship.

We grow what we feed.