Transcript:
Hi there, my name is Jeff Arthur with The Values Conversation here to talk to you today in leadership about what your opinion is of the people who work with you and work for you. It’s amazing what happens, but as leaders, we start to form opinions about people we don’t even think about and we don’t realize we’re doing it. Sometimes that opinion is very high: Man, they answered that exactly right. Man, they were right … Johnny on the spot, right place, right time, filled the slot. Man, they were … Our opinion is very high of them. Or other people who are dragging it or not getting there or they’re doing whatever, eh, our opinion starts to go very low.
But here’s what happens. On leadership level, whatever our opinion is, that’s how we start to lead our other people. And that doesn’t always work. Because whatever our opinion is of them, that’s how we’re going to lead them, and that very easily becomes how they follow us: Hey the boss has, or my co-workers have, or the owner has, or the CEO has a high opinion of me. I’m going to rise to the occasion. Well I know they don’t like me, so what difference does it make? No matter how hard I try, it’s never going to work. And they start to fit in to where that opinion already has them already placed.
I want to encourage you as a leadership to not treat all your people the same, but to recognize that everybody has value and that your opinion, my opinion and what I set on people, may actually be determining their work ethic and how far they go in the company. Recognize what’s going on. Build a relationship. Get to know them. Maybe they’re not a person, maybe they had a bad day. Whatever that is, don’t let our opinions as leaders control the outcome and the input from our people.
My name is Jeff Arthur with The Values Conversation. You can find out more about us online at tvcleadership.com