Three Signs of a Miserable Job: Part 4

The Three Sings of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni

Part 4

Anonymity

“All human beings need to be understood and appreciated for their unique qualities by someone in a position of authority.”

So ask yourself this simple question. Does my principal or superintendent know me as a person or just the person currently teaching third grade, chemistry, or principal of such and such school?  If you aren’t known by your principal or superintendent then you are just a name, and that doesn’t exactly inspire you to get up in the morning.

“How can a person really feel good about going to work when they don’t feel like anyone there know who they are? Or cares?”

All of us have people we work with at school who know us. They might even be very good friends. This is a good thing. However, the one person who makes the biggest impact on or work situation is usually the principal, or in some cases, the superintendent. The make the decisions and issue the directions. So, if they don’t know us as a person, it can make each day miserable.

“…consider whether you have appreciated it when your manager took an interest, a real one, in you and your life.”

I wonder how many people I have worked with ever knew I was president of my college fraternity, had cancer, served in the Marines, or that I played rugby. I wonder if my principals or superintendents ever knew that I want to get an executive MBA and my Ed.D. How many ever knew my hopes or dreams? How many have even ever read my blog?

So principals, directors, and superintendents, take heed…

“Mangers need to understand that the people whose lives they impact are their employees. And if they don’t know who those people are, and what their lives are all about, how can they possibly do that?”

“To manage another human being effectively requires some degree of empathy and curiosity about why that person gets out of bed in the morning, what is on their mind, and how you can contribute to them becoming a better person.”

Do you know your staff’s hopes and dreams? Do you care? Do you know your staff’s kids names or where they live? Do you know what is going on in their personal lives that could be impacting their workday?  There are so many ways in which you can take a personal interest in your staff. Does it matter to you when others take a personal interest in who you are as a person? Of course it does.

“A better way to remove any sense of anonymity or invisibility from employees’ situation at work is simply to get to know them. Take time to sit down with each of them and ask them what’s going on in their lives.”

But you better be genuine. People will hate it if you are temporarily interested or fake it. You have got to be in it for the long haul.

We all want to be recognized and validated and educators, but more importantly, we want to be known as a unique person. We want to be ourselves at work and with those whom we work.

“Because you shouldn’t have to be a different person at work. That’s part of what makes people miserable, pretending to be something or someone they’re not. And that means their boss needs to know who they are beyond the job description alone.”

We want to be known. We want to matter to those we work with and those who lead us.