Liz Strauss

PERFECT VIRTUAL MANAGER

Rights.
Certain unalienable rights, as named by Thomas Jefferson, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
In a country where many are unemployed, in a world where work can be scarce, if not completely unattainable, what could rights of those who work possibly mean?

What Are Rights Anyway?

A look at history, a look at the dastardly and despicable things that humans can do to each other, and any realist can see that we have no rights. We have none –not any, not Thomas Jefferson’s unalienable three, not even the right to breathe — that cannot be taken away.

What is talk about rights of those who work in a world in which even where work seems plentiful, job security is not? It is the talk of an idealist. It is the conversation of possibility.

Balancing that, this idealist can see no right that isn’t also a responsibility.

With every breath comes the responsibility to live, not just exist.

With every freedom comes the responsibility to protect and be generous.

With every pursuit of happiness comes the responsibility to recognize in the fullest that others are thwarted in that same personal quest.

With every workday comes the responsibility to invest in making the working world a place where head and heart are fully connected and expressed.

We speak of balance.

We could change the word “right” to “no one left out.”

We speak of accountability.

We could change the word “right” to “revising the mistake.”

We talk to each other of managing time and asking permission.

We could change the word “right” to “forgiving the insult and showing compassion.”

We work for a living.

How hard is it to take what we say into our lives?

Liz Strauss

Behind every Successful business is an Outstanding Manager. — PVM

See also Work with Liz! at Successful Blog

PERFECT VIRTUAL MANAGER

To see and to know.
That is the baseline. The measure to which those who work are able to see what they see and know what they know reveals the level health in any enterprise.

To See and To Know

It’s simple. Those who work see what happens and know what drives an organization. When the organization asks them to behave as if they don’t see or know, it sets up conflict and dysfunction.

The focus shifts from the work and the customer to an attempt at understanding the complicated pretense and its motivation.

The environment becomes negatively political. Truth and information become traded as commodities. Suspicions threaten the core of the organization. The effect is polarizing.

On the other hand, when those who work can see what they see, and know what they know, a trust environment is established. Focus can be centrally placed on the work, and leadership can be positive. The people doing the work can trust in their own perceptions. They have a place to stand.

Given a place to stand, workers can contribute with strength of their convictions. Customers can give valuable feedback. Management can offer helpful guidance. Everyone is more likely to risk in pursuit of the common goals and to support a team environment.

Positive risks do not occur when folks are surrounded by fear of pretense.

Liz Strauss

Behind every Successful business is an Outstanding Manager. — PVM

See also Work with Liz! at Successful Blog

PERFECT VIRTUAL MANAGER

Meaningful Work.
Meaninfgul work is work that is useful.
It has a purpose other than to use up time.
Meaningful does not make more work. It often makes less work.
In other words, meaningful work is not stupid.

The Right to Do Meaningful Work

Intelligent people like to do work that makes sense. All people who work are intelligent about what makes sense in their job. I have asked this one question to folks in jobs at all levels, including Vice Presidents and folks who work driving a cab.

Would you work for less money, if it meant that you never had to do something stupid again.?

To a person, every answer has been an elaborate and emphatic, “Yes.”

My favorite answer came from Cindy. Cindy works on the shipping line in the warehouse. She was talking to her boss, the VP of Operations. She described what I’m talking about most perfectly in one sentence.

“What I like about working for you is that you don’t ask to move a box over there today, and then come back tomorrow to ask me to move it back exactly where it was the day before.”

Meaningful work allows people to get engaged in their jobs and to feel that they’re investing their life’s time in something worthwhile. Stupid work wears people down. No need to elaborate on that.

Liz Strauss

Behind every Successful business is an Outstanding Manager. — PVM

See also Work with Liz! at Successful Blog