How we treat people matters

Nearly everyone has had a bad boss sometime in their work history.  Maybe you still do. Those bosses make you reluctant to engage fully and bring your best self to work.  They may even induce the all-too-common workplace malady known as the “Sunday Scaries.”  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the “Sunday Scaries,” it is a significant feeling of anxiety and dread on Sunday night, before going in to work on Monday morning.  Others of us have had a bad colleague or neighbor who induces many of the same feelings.  It always stinks for those of us who know that how we treat people matters.

The behaviors that make us feel this way are well known.  Lying, raising your voice, using threatening language, applying favoritism, making self-serving choices, bragging.  You get it.  People like this grate our nerves, are off-putting and some of them even make us feel anxiety and a very real fear when we are forced to engage.

There are concepts in leadership which can inspire cooperation, productivity, and a sense of shared purpose.   These ideals make people want to show up and work together toward a common goal.  They look nothing like the behaviors I listed above.   I have the pleasure of working with some really great leaders in my current organization.   They even have created a list of 27 fundamentals for each of us to live and work by.  Ideals such as “do the right thing,” “speak straight,” “practice blameless problem solving,” and “thoughtful communication” guide every person in my organization from the CEO and founding Dermatologist down to the very newest front line employee. The culture makes my work life pleasurable and most importantly, make me better at my job.  Bottom line, good culture inspired by good leadership is critical for progress and for groups to function at their best. 

We are unique here in Greenvale Township, Minnesota in that we have an exceedingly engaged populace.  If we are honest with ourselves, it’s not for the most wonderful of reasons.  There is a history of engagement between some of our residents and elected and appointed leadership that reminds me of the kind of things that would give any of us the worst case of the “Sunday Scaries.”  We could stand to focus on improving our own neighborhood culture.

This April, we had five candidates apply for two expiring Planning Commission positions.  All of the candidates had arguably great qualifications for the commission with skills and experience which would give them valuable insight on the decisions being made.  Three of the candidates would have clearly had a positive impact on the culture of our township government.  One person is a net-neutral, in my estimation.  One on the other hand, has many times, over many years chosen behaviors which are clearly the opposite of what is needed for positive culture. The board voted 2-1 not to appoint any of the three qualified new candidates for the sake of keeping things the same.  Keeping things the same will give many residents here in Greenvale Township the “Sunday Scaries”.  This is a problem which two of our supervisors chose to force us all to accept for another three years.  It was a mistake.

The truth was not openly discussed at the meeting. The feelings and experiences of many township residents were disregarded and minimized.  I would just like to take a minute to ask you, my reader, to ponder a few simple questions.  If you saw someone yell at, swear at, lie about or threaten a colleague at work, what would you think of those in charge if this behavior was not addressed? What would you do if you were the leader and had to deal with this?  What do you think to yourself when the biggest jerk at work gets the promotion?  We have all seen THAT happen, right?  Most of us have a clear line for ourselves on this kind of behavior, at least partly because it would get us fired.  Most of us easily understand this simple truth: How you treat people matters.

Nothing ruins a good culture faster than tolerating or ignoring the worst behavior of any member.  The best leaders have expectations for not only job performance, but also for character and behavior toward others.  I have an ask for everyone who reads this:  Make sure that within our township, within your workplace and within your own home, you commit to sticking up for someone who is being treated badly. Many of us suffer because of bad treatment being ignored and it is unacceptable if we truly want to be a better, happier community.  If the rest of us stick together when this happens, at least everyone can go home feeling cared about and respected by someone in Greenvale Township.

Sticking up for your neighbor is a worthy everyday commitment, but let’s all especially commit to remember this at election time next March.

Responsibly yours,

Lisa Legvold