As co-op managers we can feel so trapped between a couple of emotional dynamics that, at times, we become almost powerless and at a loss for answers.
Trapped between a rock and a hard place.
We’re trapped between not really liking the way big businesses can seem so heartless and, on the other hand, trying to manage our co-ops with complex employee situations that involve heart-aches, attachments and emotional connections.
We end up asking ourselves if our only choice is to become just like those big businesses, that we perceive as cold and heartless, just to be able to keep our co-ops together?
Of course we want to be caring, concerned and humanistic – we know that.
And at the same time we are aware that our co-ops will be impacted if we over accommodate, make lots of individual exceptions and just plain procrastinate on making any tough decisions at all.
To navigate these challenging waters I feel our approach is not to figure out a way to build a fortress around our hearts.
Becoming somewhat hard hearted so we can withstand these kinds of confusions and difficulties.
Quite the opposite. I feel our aim is to leave are hearts open, possibly even wider, making room for the inevitable range of discomforting feelings that surface in the course of managing.
Not thinking that our job is to avoid, delay, prevent, or work around what can sometimes be a painful situation for us and those we manage. That is an impossible expectation – we are human – there is no outrunning emotions.
We don’t have to wrestle the pain away; that just leads to confusion and bad decisions.
It means there may be times when with grace in our heart, and perhaps a greatly hurting heart, we look carefully into the eyes of an employee and let them know their schedule is changing, job duties are changing, there are no more accommodations, or their employment is ending.
Us big hearted co-op managers are not caught between anything if we just accept that we cannot outrun discomfort and pain while carrying the weight of our responsibility to lead on behalf of our co-op’s best interests.
Let’s keep our hearts open, have great regard for those we work with and honor life in its fullest capacity.
Trapped between a rock and a hard place.
We’re trapped between not really liking the way big businesses can seem so heartless and, on the other hand, trying to manage our co-ops with complex employee situations that involve heart-aches, attachments and emotional connections.
We end up asking ourselves if our only choice is to become just like those big businesses, that we perceive as cold and heartless, just to be able to keep our co-ops together?
Of course we want to be caring, concerned and humanistic – we know that.
And at the same time we are aware that our co-ops will be impacted if we over accommodate, make lots of individual exceptions and just plain procrastinate on making any tough decisions at all.
To navigate these challenging waters I feel our approach is not to figure out a way to build a fortress around our hearts.
Becoming somewhat hard hearted so we can withstand these kinds of confusions and difficulties.
Quite the opposite. I feel our aim is to leave are hearts open, possibly even wider, making room for the inevitable range of discomforting feelings that surface in the course of managing.
Not thinking that our job is to avoid, delay, prevent, or work around what can sometimes be a painful situation for us and those we manage. That is an impossible expectation – we are human – there is no outrunning emotions.
We don’t have to wrestle the pain away; that just leads to confusion and bad decisions.
It means there may be times when with grace in our heart, and perhaps a greatly hurting heart, we look carefully into the eyes of an employee and let them know their schedule is changing, job duties are changing, there are no more accommodations, or their employment is ending.
Us big hearted co-op managers are not caught between anything if we just accept that we cannot outrun discomfort and pain while carrying the weight of our responsibility to lead on behalf of our co-op’s best interests.
Let’s keep our hearts open, have great regard for those we work with and honor life in its fullest capacity.