Today, I spare my readership. Rather than pick the bones of a reported legal autopsy, I prefer to work with some fresh material: my observations of the walking talking clients I’ve assisted over the last 12 years of employment law.
We humans are not too original in our approach to problems. Often our “approach” is the problem. Only Jesus (the Christ) seems to have been truly “outside the box” in viewing life through the original possibilities of perfection. As for you and me, well, here are some “in the box” observations:
Denial is not a River in Egypt. Everyone who comes to me denies most of his own failings, and assumes more than a fair share of the failings of others.
Others rarely see our work in the same high regard that we do.
Yes, it is true, power corrupts, and you can measure the man or woman by how far up the scale of corruption he or she has gone in relation to his or her promotions. Arrogance acquires a sort of official legitimacy as one is promoted. Managers may acquire a “we” mentality that collides with “them”. The logic is this: we define and enforce the rules, even if we change the rules or twist them for ego-driven “I’m always right” purposes. Quite simply, play by our rules, however we use or twist them, or be “eliminated”.
A person’s dysfunctions don’t stop at the entrance to the workplace. Most of our stories and problems are simply chapters in an ongoing saga we bring to our employment. Victims continue to feel victimized. Bullies may change tactics at work, but not characters. Conversely, good people produce good results at work, and healthy personalities form good relationships at work. While this is not surprising, what is less obvious is that the continued survival and success of a destructive or abusive personality at work is a sure sign he has finally found a home. I have also found that good people eventually leave bad companies. They too eventually find a “home”.
My clients of course are all good people who left bad homes. And I? I am a wonderful, completely OK person, with no problems who deserves these perfect clients.
“If the pink slip doesn’t fit,
get redressed!”