A positive comment from a person new to Simplicity Blog always re-energises me to write some more …… so thanks a lot Ralph!
Some of my rants are blunt and fired straight from the hip without too much thought but I want to share a calmer, more reflective few words.
Today Annie and I performed a 6 minute drama sketch to a group of older folks in a residential home for people with dementia.
It was just magical and an absolute delight to be a small part of.
When we arrived the folks were talking, seemingly across each other, some were wandering around apparently aimlessly and confused. It was pretty clear some of these mature men and women are in the advanced stage of dementia.
AND YET ……..
During our very simple bit of drama there was just a fantastic 30 to 60 second ‘window’ when one could have heard a pin drop …. Such was the attention given to us by our audience. They were totally with us and engaged.
I just don’t have the vocabulary to describe in words what a kick that gave us both. It was as if they found an oasis of reality, solitude and tranquillity in their seemingly, chaotically ordered lives.
It made me ..... yet again ..... realise that generalisations about illness or condition are completely unhelpful and totally unfair. We have to look at individual circumstances and rest assured there can always be great joy, hope and understanding ..... however difficult that may appear at first glance.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
It's not Charity - its Justice
Capitalists - Please don’t insult and patronise me with rubbish and meaningless statements such as “We can’t trust where the money goes” or … “Capitalism means the money trickles down” … it’s just a lot of cobblers quite frankly. As I watch Comic Relief - and cry - I cannot help but think of the words of Archbishop Dom Helder Camara as follows “When I feed the poor, I am called a saint. When I ask why they are poor, I am called a communist”
I read recently that if you are on the MINIMUM WAGE in the UK you are among the top 11% wage earners in the world.
This is not about charity – it’s about justice!
I read recently that if you are on the MINIMUM WAGE in the UK you are among the top 11% wage earners in the world.
This is not about charity – it’s about justice!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Good bosses do the 'ugly stuff' well
Been thinking about leaders I’ve worked for and how they handled feedback about performance. The best ones knew how to criticise effectively. Many of them screwed it up and were lousy at giving feedback.
I recall one particular boss in my entire 35 year career in healthcare who explained to me in a private 1-2-1 why I didn’t get the job I’d applied for. I had felt I had a good interview for the job and I was well qualified for the position. To be honest I was pretty angry when I went into his office for feedback. I came out half an hour later agreeing with him that I was not the right person for that job. He was right; I was wrong simple as that. The thing that made him stand out above the rest was he valued me by giving me time, in privacy. Though busy, he was not rushed. He allowed me to talk and asked me how I felt it went – he was clearly a superb listener. Most bosses I had were either: Too rushed; disinterested; too 'clinical' and cold; too personal; or too negative when giving uncomfortable feedback which made me feel even worse.
People only expect (rightly) to be valued as a person - doesn't seem unreasonable does it?
None of us accept criticism well. The good news is there are some bosses who do it well. Long may they reign!
I recall one particular boss in my entire 35 year career in healthcare who explained to me in a private 1-2-1 why I didn’t get the job I’d applied for. I had felt I had a good interview for the job and I was well qualified for the position. To be honest I was pretty angry when I went into his office for feedback. I came out half an hour later agreeing with him that I was not the right person for that job. He was right; I was wrong simple as that. The thing that made him stand out above the rest was he valued me by giving me time, in privacy. Though busy, he was not rushed. He allowed me to talk and asked me how I felt it went – he was clearly a superb listener. Most bosses I had were either: Too rushed; disinterested; too 'clinical' and cold; too personal; or too negative when giving uncomfortable feedback which made me feel even worse.
People only expect (rightly) to be valued as a person - doesn't seem unreasonable does it?
None of us accept criticism well. The good news is there are some bosses who do it well. Long may they reign!
Monday, February 28, 2011
For cryin' out loud I'm NOT 'system generated!!'
Twice in the last 5 days I’ve had ‘customer care managers’ (at least that’s what they laughingly called themselves) in two completely unrelated organisations say to me (paraphrasing slightly):
“I’m sorry but it’s a system generated response. Sorry you are upset with its contents but because we deal with so many people it’s not possible to deal with people as individuals”
How sad (tragic actually) is that?
TWO SIMPLE QUESTIONS
1 What is the point of running ANY sort of business if you cannot be responsive to individuals?
2 For crying out loud, why call it customer ‘care’ if you don’t actually give a toss about the individual?
My suggestion is to disband the customer care department in such organisations and have a company motto that simply says:
“We genuinely care for you … Err that is …. If you will be so kind as to fit into our ‘system generated’ profile of what we think a customer must look like”
It makes me sick to be honest but it also makes me even more determined to carry on ranting about it … If I don’t rant about it I’m condoning it at best; and at worst I’m encouraging really crappy companies to carry on ignoring individual customers.
“I’m sorry but it’s a system generated response. Sorry you are upset with its contents but because we deal with so many people it’s not possible to deal with people as individuals”
How sad (tragic actually) is that?
TWO SIMPLE QUESTIONS
1 What is the point of running ANY sort of business if you cannot be responsive to individuals?
2 For crying out loud, why call it customer ‘care’ if you don’t actually give a toss about the individual?
My suggestion is to disband the customer care department in such organisations and have a company motto that simply says:
“We genuinely care for you … Err that is …. If you will be so kind as to fit into our ‘system generated’ profile of what we think a customer must look like”
It makes me sick to be honest but it also makes me even more determined to carry on ranting about it … If I don’t rant about it I’m condoning it at best; and at worst I’m encouraging really crappy companies to carry on ignoring individual customers.
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