“If you work for a man, in heavens name work for him. If he pays you wages which supply you bread and butter, work for him; speak well of him; stand by him, and stand by the institution he represents. If put to a pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must vilify, condemn, and eternally disparage, resign your position, and when you are outside, damn to your heart’s content, but as long as you are part of the institution do not condemn it. If you do that, you are loosening the tendrils that are holding you to the institution, and at the first high wind that comes along, you will be uprooted and blown away, and will probably never know the reason why.” (Elbert Hubbard) Defined as a feeling of devotion, faithfulness and trustworthiness, this word is slung around like the crap it exists in. A confidant must exhibit these qualities and many more to be considered for such a prestigious position as a confidant to the supervisor. Sad to say, the opposite effect is not true as there are no expectations for the supervisor to be loyal to his or her confidant or assistant at hand. Herein lays a paradox of words and actions that conflict with every step they take as correctional professionals. The traditional practice of loyalty has been compromised with a modern version of loyalty as has altered the meaning of such words as respect, integrity and ethical conduct. It has been my belief now for many years we have destroyed the original meaning of being loyal and substituted it for actions contrary to its defined meaning in the dictionary as conventional morality has taken a turn for the worst.
Many ingredients of convention morality such as religion, individualism, common sense and logic are becoming values of the past and replaced by other words and actions. It has been said that loyal members of an organization contribute directly towards it success and development. It has also been said that when it is all said and done, loyalty has no direct factor in the success or the productivity of the organization thus it’s impact is somewhat measured on a questionable stick used by either side to promote or discount the ingredient of loyalty within their own organization. A workforce is greatly divided when morale is suffering and the attitude of the organization appears to be apathetic to their needs and concerns. An organization, seeking allegiance to their cause must reciprocate those same feelings if it is to benefit from the emotion and reality that this is a two way proposition. With the economy suffering and organizations suffering as well, the employees are not very confident they will keep their jobs thus they offer nothing in return to the cause of strengthen their workplace. Traditional loyalty values are easy to describe as the rules are very clear and non-compromising. In return for a good job, management gave the employee a sense of worth and treated them like family thus they didn’t mind carrying the extra load or working the extra hour. More so, they gave up their right to accept things as they were and not question anyone or anything regarding changes in the operation or the way the job was done. Having faith the company or agency did it for the right reasons, they allowed the change to occur without protest or challenge keeping the faith that it was all for the good of many.
Proud to wear the brand they were working for, they tucked their shirts in and kept themselves groomed to fit the profile of a professional and representative of the company they worked for. Bureaucratic orders were followed through and without a peep.
Precisely the opposite today, we are experiencing these principles do no longer apply. No longer confident they will have their jobs tomorrow as politicians are trying to sell their prisons they work in to private contractors to save money and no longer sure the changes are in their best behalf as departmental priorities have overridden safety concerns and placed the employee in harm’s way with expansion of beds and less staffing as the calendar year elapses to another year of fiscal shortages and staff furloughs. Change in values, traditional to say the least, has impacted a new attitude that will be hard to reverse. Skeptical work force with a different set of expectations and demand, there is more conflict at the workplace today than ever. Unions suffer membership as division among them has split the wealth as well and trust is no longer a variable in communication and negotiations. The fear of short term employment has caused great anxiety among workers and puts them in a defensive stance whenever a change is implemented or suggests making things better. Cautious approaches in asking for stability in their environment, the organization has come up with empty promises to make it better. The issue of career succession training or development has drawn criticism as the number of applicants and candidates dwindle as they see that nepotism and favoritism stands in their way of making a successful move to be promoted with integrity and fairness.
Instead of the organization leading the employees in their career paths, the employees, in the fear of being left behind, have implemented and guided their own career paths that may not always include an option to remain with the organization or firm. Job hopping is now an acceptable practice while five years ago, it was a taboo on the resume showing immaturity and poor reliability. Sticking with a firm career path has now been divided into three or four career paths not benefiting the current employer one bit and causing them fear of losing good prospects for their own needs. Sensing this movement to the dark side, companies need to create realistic plans and guidelines that provide mutual conditions for employees to buy in the concept that the organization cares about their wellness and welfare and open up new opportunities to increase their commitment into the service product required to maintain essential services. Returning to old adage that loyalty is emotion, this can be used to tap into staff’s own commitment to do the job and do it better. Mutual respect, and timely responses to their individual needs carry far and send a strong message that “we care” about you and your personal as well as professional needs.
Seeking internal acceptance for their loyalty, it must be re-instated in such a manner where the employee can feel the change and connect with it on a most emotional level comparable to bonding, association / affiliation and trust by all involved in the process. So how do you bond or build a closer association or affiliation you might ask yourself. Well, the truth is you must resort back to some old traditional mannerisms that were acceptable many years that include a truthful and consistent loyalty statement to them focusing on the allegiance unconditionally.
This statement must display or demonstrate emotional connections of faithfulness, devotion, obligation and duty to help and care for another person or entity as it is applied for the good of not just one but the good for many. Extending this compact or agreement should be done in such a way it is highly visible to others and measurable so that honesty can pass through a transparent envelope of trust showing significant improvement are being made and trust is re-instilled by both parties. This pact can be set to outline written expectations of loyalty behaviors that illustrate practical conduct as well as mutual respect. This transparency will allow the fostering of new commitments and more loyal followers to enhance the work place and renew their obligation to their employers. Loyalty pacts are common across the country and formulate successes in many different industries and a culture since corrections is a global market. This new reflection of common and mutual interests of the organization will reap rewards both internally and externally. Companies or entities must be careful not to over commit to this new relationship for leaner economic times require leaner commitments. In the process of establish these pacts, both parties must agree to continue to seek improvements for both today and tomorrow as conditions beyond their control may effect or disrupt their original pact and require a contingency plan that includes continued frankness, aggressive research and development for new ideas and technologies, meaningful dialogue on working conditions and participation in the business growth meaning as the financial conditions improve, so should the employees be fairly recognized to be worthy of a benefit improvement or shared contributions towards those benefits.
Participation should be voluntary and frequent; a seamless partnership should exist to avoid territorial squabbles and misunderstandings. The pact should focus on training, learning, development, rewards, recognition, career and growth opportunities and a balance in considerations. Flexibility for time off and care related to work / home issues. Entities should become aware that it is not the size of the assets that is important but rather it is the intensity of the employees that sets the pace for improvements and motivation for better working conditions. Honesty is still the best policy. Honest communication from both parties is essential in growth and meeting the challenges of professional development and opportunities.
Tangible benefits, something they can touch or feel are better than promises unreachable or hardly ever delivered when expressed. Herein we start discussing where loyalty begins and where it ends. Coping with the concepts written here it has become clear that loyalty is a two way street no matter whether it is between a group and an entity or individual on individual. The ingredients are the same and the levels should match commitment to the promises made. Loyalty is directly related to the organizational health and wellness… in addition to its own wellness, it must have an amicable culture associated with their treatment of the diversity that exists and treat people well, putting a strong pressure on their career growth possibilities as well as providing ample opportunities to provide such growth. Speaking with truth and commitment are the key elements of making this happen as this will directly result the retention of good men and women who have worked hard to improve the workplace while employers and supervisors take steps to improve the attraction not only retaining the best but attracting the best as well. This retention and attraction phase of loyalty is the basis for many decisions made by frustrated and deceived employees in corrections. Respecting the organization as the organization respects the individual, this is where the weakness of the strongest link exists. Thus to some degree, an equality must co-exist for the bond to work. When the employees feel you disrespected them it impacts their personal progress and organizational worth. Employees, having the feeling that nobody cares about them causes hopelessness as well as lackadaisical attitudes that often results in poor performance or poor attendance. Good work deserves great recognition. Poor work deserves training and tutoring with individuals who know how to motivate and develop others to a higher level of commitment and productivity.
Discipline is a last resort and should be used sparingly to not discourage others in trying to improve their own skills or productivity. It is imperative a system is in place that can track and show improvements on the job so that the proper care and recognition can be given to the appropriate places and individuals. The void of such agreements or commitments results in people leaving the agency and doing their eight and out the gate philosophy which is very prevalent today inside the prison walls where morale is suffering and dedication and commitment are teetering on breaking lose and creating a super mishap where people are bound to be hurt seriously.
As you can gather, this is mostly a socially compelling interest in being in harmony with God’s rule of doing for others as they would do to you. But first, you must calm the restlessness inside your own heart to determine your own will and then follow the logic or emotion. After all, it is your duty to find out who you are and what you are willing to stand for as you accept new responsibilities and challenges. Herein you experience both desire and pain. The pain is a clear obstacle to desire and will attempt to bring you down to thwart your progress or advance on the desired qualities involved in the search for success. Thus pain is evil. But to experience success without pain would be a non-learning event thus sometimes; pain is the necessary element to work harder.
Having loyalty and giving loyalty is a paradoxical situation to say the least. One is divided by its own personal pleasures and those of the person you choose to be loyal to. Determining factors include those elements of my plan versus those elements of the bosses’ plans. We both received specific training that allows up to co-exist yet one has to be on top and one must submit. This has to be one of your greatest human undertakings as it tears your soul apart. Deciding to be true to one’s self or to another, a decision must be made and based on my instinct to survive and be better; I must succumb to another man’s pleasure of seeking and attaining the top position. Thus it is suggested we grow up on a social order we all agree upon as we chose to travel this journey. Social conformity gives us social power. As this social power grows you become more aware of your own will and needs. Concerned about the perception of my duty, I am torn between two social standards I cannot deny.
What is my will and what will my future be if I choose to remain subordinate to those who are not superior to me but due to my social order, I must refrain from competing with them for more social power and recognition. In a hopeless circular way, I struggle with this event and seek wisdom every time an opportunity arises that would allow me to express my desires. Morally perplexed I chose to give in to the inferior individual again to allow the social order to stand and retain its existence giving me more pain that my success has been stifled only by my reluctance to gain on the one individual I choose to be loyal to. Ignoring what I believed to be best for me, I chose to be second in status to remain loyal and true. It appears I have let my social training decide to follow the teachings of other people. Sensing my own will tell me to rebel against this social training I have received, I await for the right time and place to make such a desire to be on top presentable to those in power when the opportunity comes up in the near future. So far the process has been turbulent to say the least. Now, with the desire so much closer to my heart and soul, it is imperative I start to make plans to be eligible for such consideration when the time comes. Swimming in this stream of human frustration and inherited human passion, I clamor for the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities and knowledge. In the meantime, I sense an opposition to my human desire to achieve my pinnacle of success and become somewhat aggravated concerning the treatment given to me from the social order that controls my destiny.
Awakened in pride, my ego gets in the way of logic and spouts off at the mouth some things best left unsaid. Not realizing this might be a passing circumstance, I refuse to wait for results and call it quits. Taking a war like spirit, I now feel the agency does not want me nor need me so I extend the right to resign and go my own way. Honoring my submission to my emotions and desire to no longer function in the social order I was trained in, my heart deflates as my ego takes a break from the reality and goes to sleep. Honor now means submission. Clearing my head, I realize this action has taken me to cross roads that make it clear that my submission has made me realize two things.
One is that I should intensify my desire or make it obvious that this action I have taken has no purpose and is just a part of the social order I was trained in. Thus my loyalty to the social order has again established my future and destiny to be content with what I have and not what I want. Admitting my chaotic lifestyle has filled me with extreme passion; I accept this as the will of the social order and move on. Now, in my absence other people noticed the absence of my loyalty and professional demeanor thus they question my departure from the agency and ask others where I went. Having demonstrated the high levels of confidence and trustworthy performance free from moral doubts and demonstrating the possession of strong scruples, I was given special consideration by a man to return to the agency intact and still in consideration for achieving my desire to reach what I have been working so hard for my entire professional career. A justified consideration for promotional opportunities within the agency based on my abilities and willingness to do the job and do it well.Taking those words of the poet Hubbard to heart, I found myself in conflict with the boss of the agency and how he conducted his business. I found myself questioning his ethics, his motives and his intentions of mistreating and misguiding employees deliberately and wanted no part of such a partnership. Tempted to say things and spout off to others about my feelings, I decided to best keep it to myself and resign [2010] my position so I could voice and say what I wanted to say without a conflict of interest or a tone of disloyalty to the man who I worked for. Words don’t mean a thing, if the action behind them is not consistent with your message.