You Got a Big Ego

On my way to work this morning, I started to think about what it will be like when I'm out of training and into my own store. I started thinking of some of the people I met already that I will be working with in my own store. I'm getting to a point in my career where I'm starting to see people's strengths and opportunities in a fairly quick manner. (Sometimes I can even surprise myself with my observations!)

Being in HR, as well as managing people, is truly a remarkable experience. People managers have the daily role to make those they look over more excellent colleagues, friends, workers, corporate citizens and individuals. They have the opportunity to get to know them and speak into their lives in a way not many others can. Most people managers certainly don't take these opportunities as they should. They don't get to know their people in order to be able to know how to lead them. Instead they throw all people into the same category, leading them the same way, and that often results in a few or a lot of  frustrated individuals in any team. But I digress...

As I thought about how I can develop and influence people, I asked myself, "Why do I want to develop and influence people?" This was my train of thought:

"I want to see them grow...so that they can develop others...so that others find satisfaction in their role working at our store...so that our store becomes a phenomenal place to work....so that our store becomes recognized in the company...so that I feel good...so that I become recognized..."

I stopped myself and went through the reasons again trying to find a different  outcome. I mulled over the thought of being quite selfishly motivated though at first my intentions seemed good. In my work, I truly want to do good for people. I value people. But when I dig deep, is it truly because I want to feel better about myself? 

How often in life do we do things but with a selfish intent? To feed our own ego? Does it count as selfish intent if we don't even know that that is the reason we are doing it?

Have you ever noticed when you do a "random act of kindness," like paying for the groceries of a person ahead of you in line who's card isn't working, it makes you feel good inside? The other person is thankful, but really, it's your own self that gets even more pumped up. And for good reason...it feels good to show kindness and goodness to others! Were we created like that? Or is it a product of society?

 

I think I have to chew on that one a little bit more. My brain is so full of new information from training and learning a new industry, I can't quite sort through all my thoughts yet.

In the mean time, I finally finished an amazing book that I heard about at a conference over a year ago. It's called "The 3 Signs of  a Miserable Job". It's a very easy and I'd say -powerful- read, in a novel form. This book is for anyone who manages people, or who is managed by someone! (Ha...that's most of us!) Check it out!