Why Are People Mean? Don't Be a Jerk
Once upon a time there was an owner of a printing company, John, who was very difficult to work for. John demanded a great deal from his employees and continually barked orders at them. He rarely had anything positive to say (even to his long-term employees) and almost never said thank you.
Every day, employees heard all the things that they did wrong from John. The worst part was the company had some tremendous people with dedication and talent. However, John was used to "old school and top down" management. People did what John asked because they had to, not because they wanted to. And the company was not very productive as morale was low.
One day in an act of desperation, Bill, a long-term employee, told John he must have a sit down (one-on-one) meeting. Because of that, John was caught off guard as he had no idea why Bill would demand such a private meeting. Because of that John (who had a lot of respect for Bill) was not sure what to expect. He found out soon enough. Bill laid it all out for John. The way John made people feel, his lack of positive feedback, the low morale people had, lack of leadership and more.
Until, finally, John had heard enough. Something amazing happened. John did not yell or get angry but instead realized Bill was right. John had taken his team for granted. He had treated them as workers not people. He realized he had been a jerk and decided to change. From that day forward, after promoting Bill, he worked hard to establish the best work environment possible. He empowered people, praised them, caught them doing things right and more. In time, John’s company was honored as a best place to work in his city.
Moral of the Story: It’s a small world. And what comes around goes around. Treat people the way you want to be treated. It is as simple as that. Learn more here.
p.s....Don’t be like George Costanza from Seinfeld with his focus on the word Jerk. Go to Ryan Sauers YouTube Channel and watch "Don't be a Jerk," to see Ryan's impersonation of George Costanza.
- Categories:
- Business Management - Marketing/Sales
Ryan T. Sauers has spent nearly 30 years running, leading or consulting with printing, graphics, promotional and visual communications-related organizations. Sauers is CEO of two companies, Sauers Consulting Strategies LLC and End Resultz Inc. that among other things, owns magazines and is a media firm. Key areas of focus of the firms include sales training, marketing strategy, personal branding, leadership development and organizational change.
Sauers is a frequent national speaker and columnist. He has been recognized as one of the top 80 CMOs globally and achieved the top designation of Certified Marketing Executive through Sales and Marketing Executives International.
Sauers is an adjunct university professor teaching leadership and communication courses to current and aspiring leaders. He is a Certified Myers Briggs, DiSC and Emotional Intelligence Practitioner (one of few in the U.S. to achieve all three rigorous certifications related to human communications, personality and behavior).
Sauers has completed his doctoral-level coursework in Organizational Leadership and is now (ABD - All But Dissertation) working on his dissertation on why some entrepreneurs and small businesses achieve initial and long-term success, whereas countless others do not.
Sauers is the host of the Marketing Matters radio show in Atlanta that later becomes a global podcast. He also is the host of the Community Connections TV show that comes out in video and podcast form. Sauers is the author of the best-selling books, Everyone is in Sales, and Would You Buy from You? More info at RyanSauers.com or call (678) 825-2049 or email Ryan@RyanSauers.com
