We have an elderly dog. His name is Fergus. He is a very good team member. He is 14.7 years old. On Saturday I arrived home to find Fergus in distress. It appeared that he had suffered a stroke. But after helping him get comfortable and the arrival of my husband our favourite vet told us that it was most likely something called Idiopathic or “Old Dog” Vestibular Disease, which presents like a stroke.
After some research we found out that a lot of people euthanize their dogs when this occurs not knowing that the animal can recover. In fact, within 24 hours we noticed an improvement and even a larger one by the following morning. He could have some lasting issues but can also make a complete recovery.
We were and remain very grateful for our go to vet and kennel that provided us with some good advice, which was to wait at least 72 hours before we made any decisions.
I always look for life situations to use in my blog and this one seems obvious because it so current and so overwhelming. What I started to think about was how situations or behaviours we make mean one thing but are in fact telling us something else. Or how we assume the worst without knowing what we are dealing with, both of which can lead us to react in a way that is either incorrect or unreasonable and potentially regrettable.
Judging people based on what we see is a common reaction, but it can often be wrong because we don’t necessarily have all the facts. And let’s face it, judging others often helps us feel better about ourselves, because WE would never do that or WE know better. But what if what we see looks like something we are familiar with or have seen before so we assume it is the same situation. And what if it’s not, what if it is something completely different?
What is the chance that you have misjudged one of your team members because of how something looks? What if you don’t have all the facts and what if you are condemning them without knowing their chances? I think we often take second hand knowledge or hearsay and react to the drama trying to correct a situation. Sometimes people on your team are just looking for the drama. Sometimes they just want to see what you will do, sometimes your best approach will be to investigate the facts, talk to people you trust and simply, wait.
It maybe worth your time to consider how you are encouraging the drama, whether knowingly or not.
It maybe worth your time to consider how you are encouraging the drama, whether knowingly or not.
Workplace drama drivers can be a lack of clarity around roles or policy. It is acceptable and probably prudent to develop a policy on gossip or slander, the lack of discipline or follow through on reprimands might also be where you see drama erupt. Most times drama is a signal that something else is brewing in your workplace. Which is where you circle back to investigate and talk to people you trust.
Remember, things may not be what they first appear and with some deliberate action you may find things less dire, and with any luck absolutely fixable.