Favorites

It's natural...bosses typically have a team member they regularly "favor" and someone who's on their "list". You see it time and again. It's not fair and it's often not right, but it happens.

The best boss I ever had in my entire career thought I was great while one of my colleagues got on his last nerve regularly.

So what is it about favorites? Do we play favorites with people who have common likes and dislikes? Is it about ideas and ideals where team members who think like us get more of our positive attention?

And what about the one (hopefully it's only one) who just irritates the snot out of us? Is it the flip side of our favorites, above? Is it that what we find so unappealing in others are the same traits that we hate the most in ourselves?

Regardless, it's our job, as leaders, to be fair, "bend over backwards" fair. Remember a time when you felt someone else was being favored over you and how it kind of stunk.

While worry isn't always that positive an activity, it's OK to worry about being fair...because it's that important.

What Keeps You Awake At Night?

Someone once asked me what keeps me awake at night. You know, what is it that worries me more than anything else.

I reflected on that and realized I worry most about being fair to other people (my wife told me that's also what keeps her awake more than any anything else). I wonder why that is. The world isn't fair by any means. People mistreat each other constantly. People are unfair to each other regularly.

There are people dying in this world constantly, from starvation, from violence, and from disasters. We have two children who are going off on their own to build their lives. We have parents who are getting older and some relatives and friends who are sick, yet we worry most about being fair to those we deal with?

Could it be because the trust thing is so personal? I'm not sure that's it because what's more personal than your children, family, and friends? Being treated fairly by Bob Hall has got to rank at the bottom of the spectrum when compared to what some people are experiencing.

Could it be because my word and my personal values are so important to me (I can't speak for my wife here)? I definitely would rather have someone's respect more than friendship (did I really say that?).

Could it be that I believe how I treat others is something I can control when so many other things in my life are out of my control? I think that could be it. I'll think about it some more.

What keeps you awake at night?