“The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.” (Vince Lombardi)
Consider Vince Lombardi’s quote and how it relates to the people who report to you, and in particular, how it relates to your long-term employees. How well do you know your staff’s previous work experiences, especially the more senior members of your group? You are witness to their current job performance, but did you ever consider what their contributions to the company have been over the past 10, 20 or even 30 years? You know them in the here and now, but before you emerged on the scene, these people had a work history you have not been privy to. They may have experienced some very tough times and some very joyous times. They most likely were part of pilot programs for every technological change to transform corporate America – faxing, emailing, computers, business software and virtual offices. The corporate equivalent of fire, floods and pestilence might have occurred during their watch. Their stories could shed light on what the company was; what it is now, and what it ultimately could be.
Do not squander the opportunity to learn from this graduation class of hard knocks just because you are too busy or assume there is nothing of value for you to glean from the discussion. Take the time to ask the longstanding members of your group about how things were back in the day; what they liked and disliked; what made a particular job fun and what made another job not so much fun. Perhaps you could incorporate some of the positive feedback into your current work processes or management style. We can all enroll in business classes and obtain our advanced degrees and Six Sigma Black Belts, but sometimes what we need to know is sitting right in front of us and is free for the asking. Experience is a terrible thing to waste!
Respect what these people have encountered and overcome both personally and professionally over the many years they have been guardians of the corporate jewels. It is a testament to them that they are still there, fighting the good fight each and every day on behalf of the customers, stockholders, and fellow employees. Try to keep this in mind on those days when they might not seem like they are giving 100%. Remember, some of these employees have bounced back 1,000 times from sales, mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies, downsizings, reorganizations, poor management or even worse, invisible management. So maybe today they just cannot muster bouncing back one more time. Maybe 1,001 times is too much to ask at this moment on this day. Be patient and supportive – they will regain their strength and be ready to go back into the ring for you. They did not last this long by being sissies. They are determined, persistent and above all, loyal. And one day (hopefully!) you will be them. One day you will wish someone would ask you how things were; what worked and what did not. You will be champing at the bit to share your experience with the next new guy or gal on the cubicle block. You will relish your back-in-the-day stories as they do now. And you will be proud of the experience you have acquired just by grinding it out each day, each week, each year until the years fold silently into decades.
So schedule some time for informal chats with the folks who sometimes prick you with their “I’ve seen it all before” comments. Whatever “it” is, it may be new to you but not to them. They probably have seen it all before and know how it turns out. Allow yourself the opportunity of seeing into your future by looking into their past.