Woodshed Kids
“When you have multiple kids, somebody is always in the woodshed”. This is a statement made by my father in response to my moaning about a business unit or person that might not be doing so well.
As a manager you must spend time on the processes/people/problems that aren’t doing what they should. You jump in head first and fight the biggest fire before moving on to the next one. This simple law of the business universe gulps your energy and time.
And while you expend your energy on problems there are those who just keep on trudging along quietly getting things done with very little fan fair. They get little attention because you are too busy handling problems.
John Steinbeck, in his book Travels with Charley, put it this way. “We value virtue but do not discuss it. The honest bookkeeper, the faithful wife, the earnest scholar get little of our attention compared to the embezzler, the tramp, the cheat”.
You know, it doesn’t have to be this way. Those unsung heroes who just seem to handle things without complaining need to know they are valued. They are what hold our business, lives, and families together.
Take some time and tell the honest, the dependable, the hard working, and the caring how much you appreciate them. Yes, the problems must get solved. Just don’t let the good people get away while you deal with the woodshed kids.
As a manager you must spend time on the processes/people/problems that aren’t doing what they should. You jump in head first and fight the biggest fire before moving on to the next one. This simple law of the business universe gulps your energy and time.
And while you expend your energy on problems there are those who just keep on trudging along quietly getting things done with very little fan fair. They get little attention because you are too busy handling problems.
John Steinbeck, in his book Travels with Charley, put it this way. “We value virtue but do not discuss it. The honest bookkeeper, the faithful wife, the earnest scholar get little of our attention compared to the embezzler, the tramp, the cheat”.
You know, it doesn’t have to be this way. Those unsung heroes who just seem to handle things without complaining need to know they are valued. They are what hold our business, lives, and families together.
Take some time and tell the honest, the dependable, the hard working, and the caring how much you appreciate them. Yes, the problems must get solved. Just don’t let the good people get away while you deal with the woodshed kids.
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