Warm and Fuzzy
You believe in warm and fuzzy management, eh?
You're going to win the employees' hearts as well as their minds, eh?
The Whole Employee Approach.
Read. Learn.
A few years back, my wife and I were with her mother picking out baby clothes in a chain store. My wife was a few feet to my right. My mother-in-law was on the other side of the rack. Across from me was a woman who was then about the same age as I am now. I looked through the rack. I selected a little baseball suit. (Infants, toddlers)
The woman gave me a warm and fuzzy look.
"How is this for Tik," I asked. My wife looked at it. "Too big."
The woman gave me a disappointed look.
My mother-in-law said, "He'll grow into it."
The woman smiled.
I said, "Mom, Tik will never get any bigger than his is now." "That's right. I forgot."
The grief-stricken woman looked about to burst into tears.
"By the way," my wife asked. "Where did you put Tik? I didn't see him before we left."
"In the closet."
The expression on the face of the woman across the rack turned to white rage. I was suddenly afraid she was about to attack me. I looked at her--still afraid.
"We're buying clothes for my wife's Teddy Bear."
The woman? Relief. Chagrin.
In fewer than 30 seconds.
Warm and Fuzzy
Disappointed
Encouraged
Grief Stricken
White Rage
Relief
Chagrin.
Even my mother-in-law, who knew why we were there, was so drawn into the activity, and so conditioned by the response--he'll grow into it--was absorbed beyond knowledge. Emotion over reason.
If you are really planning to start focusing on hiring both the hearts and minds of your employees remember. Emotions are volatile and, at times, irrational.
Slim
Copyright (c) 2012 Slim Fairview
All rights reserved.
