One of my co-workers was seriously ill
last week.
The problem was…
it was year end.
Taking time off meant a clean year end
was an impossibility.
Staffing was so lean,
there was no one to do her job.
She felt like a fool
when she heard her boss
took the entire week off
due to a cough.
Why should she sacrifice for year end
when her boss was unwilling to?
Managers shouldn’t be martyrs.
They don’t have to sacrifice EVERYTHING.
But they,
if they expect their employees to sacrifice,
should sacrifice SOMETHING,
a token to show
that they are not asking their staff
to do something they are unwilling to do.
As a manager,
of course,
you have the luxury of choosing
the token sacrifices.
Work obscenely late on the day you wish to.
Come in with the sniffles
but keep the door shut
and the problems at bay.
Return phone calls at 2 am.
Those sorts of games.