By identifying which activities you do out of guilt or fear of disappointing others, and which you do by conscious choice, would this lead you to accept whether it is urgent or important to you?
Hello, Gentlemen and #LadiesofHive. I trust you are having a good time out there. Even if things have not turned out well, stay focused and committed to the goal. Someday, you will look back and smile. I welcome you to my blog.
In my profession, learning to navigate rough waters and seamlessly striking a balance between employees, management, and organisational goals has assisted me in identifying and dealing with activities I engage in out of guilt or fear of disappointing others and those by conscious choice. I am expected to ensure that recruitment meetings, employee engagement, policy reviews, and compliance are followed. However, sometimes, there may be urgent and important needs to attend to. The ability to differentiate between these needs and set priorities is what matters.
Just yesterday, some employees came to my office and requested approval of a salary advance to enable them to observe the Salah holidays, as required by their religion. On the other hand, we have other employees’ and organisational needs that are important and need urgent attention. This includes the request to replace employees' PPE, chrome one of the rollers in a machine to increase productivity, and make our monthly factory gas supply subscription.
The employees' presence and their pleas for approval, coupled with the above important needs, made me uncomfortable. I felt uneasy saying no out of guilt and fear of disappointing these employees, but on the other hand, I felt more pained to recall the above-listed important approvals I had earlier attended to. In the midst of this dilemma, I requested that the employees come back for feedback.
At that juncture, I have a deep consultation and data insight. I went through my records and noticed that such requests from employees have never been considered for fear of religious sentiments. People from other religions may want to make such a request when they are celebrating events.
Furthermore, the other needs previously submitted were important to the organisational goal and employee welfare. At that point, all fears were erased. Information is power. I have gotten all I need to politely counter the request and make them see reason for my saying no. Over time, I have made intentional, conscious decisions that impact both employee and organisational goals, with emphasis on merit, urgency, and the importance of such needs.
In conclusion, I consider the urgency and importance of a need while attending to it. On the other hand, I use insightful data to make intentional decisions rather than fear or guilt of disappointing others. At the end, the result will be a win-win balance between employee and organisational goals born out of a focused energy on professional value for organisational and employee excellence rather than one orchestrated by guilt and fear.
Feel free to join here