We are coming to the end of another year together. A year of challenges, efforts, successes, growth and development.  Another year of keeping it together and doing our best one decision at a time.

I thought I’d share with you, in this last M2M of the year, the sentences that are my touchstones that I can always refer to when things get a little wild and wooly. In no particular order they are:   

1. We always have a way to manage!

2. Challenging employee situations are resolved with steady effort and focus taking it one incident at a time.  

3. It carries no moral weight, nor does it require our judgement when a staff person is not meeting behavior or performance issues – it is an issue of functionality within an operation that requires managing with clarity, neutrality and grace. 

4. We do not have performance improvement/correction meetings with employees to change or fix them. That is the employee’s business. Ours is to have provided clarity, support, resources and have given an employee every opportunity to be successful in their role.

5. Stay with it – do what you can, where you can, how you can, when you can.

6. Be ready for anything. Stay agile, flexible and adaptable.

7. We manage others as well as we manage ourselves.

OK, I guess that’s enough. Some sentences to think about and hopefully help you when you’re stuck in the weeds.

Oh wait, maybe one more – sometimes when I feel particularly down and out, or my hope is dampened, I will kick my butt into gear with this:

Oh, heck no! I am not going to let some staff negativity zap my time, attention and energy, when there are positive, productive staff bringing their make a difference selves to work every day! I am all in for them.    

All my best this holiday season…it’s our time to shine.