“Sometimes going in for a hard tackle generates a louder cheer than a great pass.” – Alan Shearer
We work in teams and the world being a competitive place we are either working to win against other organizations or even to get a raise within our teams. As a matter of fact, there can’t be two bosses at any one time. There has to and will always be a center of power and authority. At the same time there will always be a concern on how wield that power and authority. The world has more than 7billion people and according to God’s design, there are no two identical people. To coexist, collaborate and cooperate is the aim at the end of the day regardless of our ambitions and aspirations.
I have a thing for Rugby and it’s commonplace to feel the energy in the players from runs and tries made to the tackles. Some get hurt, some never sustain injuries and at the end of the day it’s a thrilling game. It has all the aspects that come with it. I am using this analogy from a point when I had interest in the game in high school but then the friends I had kept getting injuries so I felt it wasn’t my area. My best friend, classmate and desk mate at the time ventured into the game and currently is part of Kenya Sevens Team. I’m proud of his dedication, discipline and commitment that has seen him to that level. On my case, I got scared and I don’t regret not getting to it but the cause of my fear is what concerns me. You’d hear an individual get into the pitch with the aim of going for a hard tackle on the opponent who in some cases happened to be a classmate. Generally, it was scary to me so I never went in.
In my current phase of life, I get the opportunity to work with people from different walks of life. At times we try to outbid the other in getting jobs while other times we come together to work as a team. For those we work with in teams, there is a level of decency and respect that’s called for but it’s not ideal to say it’s a given. We are different and diverse in perspective therefore we’ll not always act with decorum at all times. Awhile back, I had a chance to observe the workings in a company and today I was reflecting on the same and felt sorry for both the employee and the boss. Having been in a company for long, we tend to feel we know more than enough and therefore whoever comes in may seem like an intruder into our space. It’s even terrible when they are coming to be your boss. This was the scenario and for this case, the tenured employee did their part to frustrate the new boss. It doesn’t serve any good in such case, because when you make your boss fail it is team failure which adds you to the failed state. Additionally, in certain situations going for the jugular may work with people at your level or below you. When you play the same trick on your boss you risk killing yourself and these are what we term miscalculated moves. There is a saying; Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. It loosely applies in this context and I feel we should be reasonable to act appropriately.
When you go on the offensive against your boss especially in the presence of outsiders it makes them look weak. Nobody wants to appear weak even when they know they are; rubbing it to their faces is almost always a recipe for disaster on your part. It’s obvious that we are human which makes us be flawed and with our flaws we need to be considerate in dealing with other flawed people. When you find flaws in others, take responsibility to correct with kindness in private. With such you build lasting friendships and alliances which will hold for you in the long term. It’s investing in your people while not burning your fingers. It may as well be the line you needed to grow, but going on the offensive may never grant such outcomes most of the time.
“When faced with a trying decision and a conflicted moment, always take the high road. Be the big man and act like one.”