Management Position: Courage Required

It takes courage to be a manager. You have to do the right thing – and doing the right thing is not always popular.

You are surrounded by stakeholders; clients/customers, your leader(s), direct reports, peers and community members.

Your every word and action is noticed and evaluated. You are formally and informally assessed. Your perspective holds great significance, particularly to the people on your team. You are creating a leadership legacy, intentionally or by default.

Examples of courageous management choices:

• Noticing and encouraging people (no matter their position) on positive contributions
• Identifying and confronting poor performance
• Refusing to let anyone – your leader, peer or direct reports, customers and so on, treat you with anything less than dignity and fairness
• Doing only what reflects your values and the values of your organization

Authentic leadership requires knowing your character and making your decisions from the inside out versus, reactively, from the outside in. We start by understanding our true beliefs, principles, values, goals and objectives (in the cold light of adulthood) – which are revealed as we bump up against other people and experience diverse situations. In this month – I salute your courage and wish you freedom to do what you know is the right thing.

“Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us.” Stephen Covey

Write Us! – What situations or decisions require courage? What are your challenges in the workplace from a courage perspective? Character stories are greatly appreciated!
Click here to respond!

Our Readers Speak Up

Last month we asked for Character Stories. Thank you to Rebecca Mathewson and Debi Paterson for the following responses.

"I was on my lunch hour, making a hasty trip to Zellers for a quick purchase. So busy at work, I had neglected to consider the Christmas rush and the long line-ups in the stores. Everyone was impatient! As I tried to endure the wait at the end of the line, I couldn’t help notice that the cashier was so “snippy”, she obviously shouldn’t be working in any kind of customer service role and likely should be disciplined or even fired. Customers were glaring back at her, as she snarled at each of them. Well, I was at least relieved when there was only one person in front of me in the line-up and I could finally get back to work."

"As the grouchy cashier reached for the first item in the next customer’s purchases, the customer gently rested her hand on the cashier’s arm and quietly suggested “dear, you seem like you’re having a bad day...” The cashier tearfully responded, inquiring “How did you know? The landlord just raised the rent, my teenage daughter is angry with me, and just this morning, my husband advised me that he wants a separation.” After completing the transaction with that particular customer, the cashier was so pleasant to me and, I noticed, with the customers behind me. All it took was the compassion, respect, and sincerity of one customer to make such a difference in the day of that cashier and her responses to the people around her. – and to my day!"

"I will never forget that incident as a constant reminder to me how important it is to be compassionate and understanding toward others and what a difference it can make in the workplace and outside of it. We all have bad days."

Rebecca Mathewson

Debi Paterson, from the Character Committee of the Town of Whitchurch Stouffville submitted the following excerpt from the town newsletter:

BRIAN TEW, Leisure Services – INTEGRITY
Brian speaks volumes of integrity (the quality of being honest, and having moral and ethical strength). Brian completes all of his tasks regardless of how much time and effort is required to do them. He is a wonderful emissary for the Town when in the process of doing all of his work, since he is EVERYWHERE. He can go anywhere to fix anything. He can jerry rig just about anything, but would prefer to do it the ‘right’ way.

STEPHANIE FOLEY, Museum – INTEGRITY
The Webster’s dictionary defines integrity as a “firm adherence to a code of moral values”. Stephanie lives up to this definition daily in her job at the Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum. Everyone - visitor, volunteer, and staff person alike - is treated with honesty, fairness, respect, and responsibility by Stephanie. Integrity is knowing what is right and doing it and Stephanie exemplifies this value every day. She is never sidetracked by what might be quicker or easier. This makes Stephanie a valued member of the Museum team and a pleasure to know.

Thank you and enjoy the spring weather!