Resurrecting the Golden Rule

In times of chaos and despair, we turn to any number of sources for advice, guidance, support and comfort.  What’s sought is not necessarily “the answer”, but instead a construct through which we can cope and rationalize the often irrational challenges of our daily lives.  We want someone to listen, to nod their head in understanding and offer a quiet and sympathetic ear above the sometimes deafening noise of reality.

As employers we are no different.  We see a tumultuous market and cling to the edges of our organizational boat, life preserver in hand as wave after wave of news breaks, wishing for dry land but soaked and cold in the understanding that at any moment we could capsize and pay the ultimate price.  We berate ourselves for not having seen this coming, for not being prepared enough to weather the storm, and make promises that if we can just get through this, all will be different.  

But we are also employees, people with lives, homes, families, obligations and dreams.  We were on a path and now it has been washed away by uncertainty.  Darwinian instincts prevail and work becomes survival, a game of outlasting those around you because you can’t imagine how you’re going to pay your bills next month if this job goes away.  And yet away they go, one by one the cubes are emptied and offices go dark.  Or worse, you are among millions washed up on unemployment’s shore.

These are the real concerns.  I hear them in airports, coffee shops, board rooms, restrooms and on the street.  An almost breathless whisper that many are afraid to verbalize for fear that just saying the words will make them so.  And yet most of the recently unemployed I encounter wish that someone would have talked with them.  These are rational, well educated professionals who understand that these are difficult times.  They are also human beings who would have preferred a direct and honest approach over a newspaper article announcing their demise.  

If people are truly your most important asset, start treating them like adults and communicate.  They don’t seek the answer to all their woes – they simply seek respectful treatment and pragmatic disclosure.  The Golden Rule still applies, and when things recover (which they always do), you will benefit from having recognized the importance of a sympathetic and empathetic ear.  Let’s keep the conversation going.