The Resilient Employee

Do you want an employee who over-reacts to provocation from a customer? How much business could you lose because of one overstressed reaction? No one really wants to find out.

Resilient people do good work on bad days. They don’t take it out on customers, nor on their co-workers. You can tell they are tired, you can tell they don’t feel well, but they still do good work with a minimum of drama. Tomorrow they are back at it, feeling better, listening, collaborating and doing good work.

Resilience comes from having survived tough times, coming back from events out of our control, and preserving through failures and bad experiences. It is a faith that we can make it through crazy customers, clueless bosses and co-worker visiting from outer space. Just another day folks, nothing to see here. (or is there more?)

Emotional strength and intelligence comes from knowing life is about more than you. Common Goals and values drive better behavior. It is taking care of others. Serving the public. Loving people. Especially when they don’t deserve it.

What do you do when your world changes? Where do you find your resiliency? Is it in your history? in your family’s stories? Your uncle who served in the war? Your neighbor who is always calming and interested? Or is peace something deeper. After all God is Love.

What is the Best Lesson to Give?

 

"If you view all the things that happen to you, both good and bad, as opportunities, then you operate out of a higher level of consciousness." - Les Brown

Parents wonder what to give, what to teach, and how to raise their kids. What is the best we can give them? Computers, games, toys, nice clothes, jewelry or experiences?

The best gift is model what we want them to be. Model good behavior for your children, neighbors and co-workers.

We all have bad days, failures, bad news, illnesses, things break and there are disappointments. Be emotionally intelligent about how we respond at the moment.  Take a deep breath. Pause. Express your disappointment, be calm, and remind them (and yourself) bad times don’t last forever.

If something is your responsibility, own it. Be responsible and think about how you can make it right.

My father is the reason I am resilient. He was honest beyond reason. He would leave a restaurant or store, and then realize they gave him too much change. Did not matter he was an executive and it was a small amount, he went back to make it right.

My mother was very sick many times in their marriage. We lost count how many surgeries she went through. Dad often came home from a long day at work, did the housework and cooked for us. No big deal in an era when men did not do housework. Never heard one complaint. Life was often difficult, but he would do what was needed and persevere in good humor.

Dad was happy when our friends were over. He would play with us. Remember him diving into the pool to splash us all. The joke was he was “The Big Kid”.

My father did not tell us what he did. Went to my parents old home to move some possessions that did not fit in the moving van. The couple who bought their home told me during the closing, the lawyer read the terms on the deed (on a 1950’s house). There was a restriction that the deed could not be transferred to a Jew or Negro. The room was silent. My father was the first to speak up, “That is not right. That has to go.” That was impressive.

Kids are always watching and learning from us. Especially when it is serious or stressful. Teach them to live well by your actions. My dad taught us well.

Coping Skills

 

There are days and there are those days. You know what I mean. May be time to go back to bed & get out of the other side, sprinkle holy water around the house, and various pleas to the saints too.

My year is not as horrible as other people with serious illnesses, dangerous diseases or kids selling something or other at the door. But 2016 has started off on the wrong foot and keep stumbling downhill.

One cure I will rely on today - CHOCOLATE!!! Thank the Lord today is not a fasting day in Lent. Started off the morning with trail mix and plan to break out the reserves this afternoon. Tonight, comfort food and Java Chip ice cream.

"When I can laugh at it, it can't be that bad" is a big coping truth. You can see it in my warped and amused musings. There are always going to be bad days, horrible days, and worse days to cope with.

It helps to have little ways to cope. Take a short walk. A deep breathe. Stretching. Going outside. Cup of coffee. Cursing under your breath. A favorite memory or place in your mind to visit. You need to center yourself and stay in control to help others (and yourself).

Truthfully if you look at the big picture, you have gotten through much more trouble in your life. It is amazing we survived some days, and mom did let us live in spite of being teenagers. The trick is to remember there will be days after today and we carry on best we can.

Emotional Intelligence is often the best indicator of success. Likely because that is how we handle setbacks and failure. Successful people have many setback and failures in their career. We need to prepare for ours.

Develop a little humor, good health habits, good friends, an occasional stiff drink, and become balanced. Oh yes, prayer has been invaluable.