When rejection comes your way

Rudy was a newly hired human resource specialist in an information technology company. He was idealistic and had fresh insights that he wants instituted to his new organization. Therefore, he suggested to his manager on how they would specifically identify those who would be considered for future trainings and seminars. However, his suggestion was rejected.

Rejection is part and parcel of your organizational life. There would be instances that you would make suggestion which to your mind is helpful for your department/organization. But more often than not your suggestion/s will be rejected by your boss.

Would you take that rejection personally? Of course not! You take rejection in your organization in stride. Don’t take it personally otherwise you end up as a loser, take rejection as a challenge to make your work better and to work harder.

Perhaps when your idea is rejected you could silently say to yourself: “You rejected my input, so I move on without any ill feeling against anyone." This is the correct attitude to make when your input is rejected. You can also make a positive spin toward it by using it as your motivation to work harder.

Rejection of your idea or input should not stop you from giving your insightful input/s when there’s an opportunity to do so. Why? This is for the reason that every input that you recommend is a testament of your knowledge or insight.  

However, if you notice that after a year of giving insightful inputs your boss or your organization has not considered any of it. Perhaps, it’s time to look for greener pastures in other organizations who will make full use of your talents. – Marino J. Dasmarinas   

Prove your critics wrong

Santiago was promoted to become the head of their organization’s human resource department he was the youngest amongst the aspirants. After his promotion a poison letter was circulated besmirching his person and credibility. He took the attack on his person in stride and treated it simply as part of the hazards of his new job.

Critics and criticism are part and parcel of organization, they exist for only one reason and that is to bring you down or even destroy you. However, would you allow your critics to bring you down? Of course not! So what are you going to do? You don’t have to confront them. You simply have to prove them wrong and you have to use them as motivation to work even harder.

Many Leaders of managers commit the mistake of stooping to the level of their critics. Therefore, they confront their critics and this confrontation sometimes lead to verbal tussle or even physical wrangle. But it should not go to that extent because the moment you confront them you only are feeding their arrogance and their thirst for violence.

It’s useless to confront your critics instead, prove them wrong by working hard: let your positive work attitude do the talking. Thus, you take the high and educated road, the road where you will earn respect and esteem from your superiors, peers and subordinates. 

The road which will lead you to another promotion when the right opportunity comes. – Marino J. Dasmarinas          

Promote the hard worker not the most qualified

Marilou is a supervisor in a government office who aspires for the next higher level position. She’s a hard worker and has meet the minimum qualification for the job opening.  Joanna on the other hand is also aspiring for the same promotion and basing on her sterling credentials it should be her who should be promoted.

What is your standard when you recommend a subordinate for promotion? Do you usually go for the most qualified? Or you go for the hard worker who meets the minimum qualification? To go for the hard worker is always the wisdom filled choice.

Not only that this employee will continue to work hard when promoted. You can also groom him/her to handle bigger responsibilities as the need arises. A hard worker is also a self-starter, he/she is always willing to learn, has initiative and can even sacrifice his/her personal time for work. He/she may do this by bringing his/her work home so that he/she could finish her task.

On the other side of the fence is the worker with sterling credentials. Why would you not choose him/her? He will not be chosen for the simple reason that credentials can’t work!  They are simply training certificates and educational transcripts which are useless when the worker who holds it is lazy and corrupt.  – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Can power destroy a leader/manager?

Can power/authority destroy a leader/manager? Yes! If not handled properly and with humility it could very well destroy a leader/manager.

There is a saying that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. A leader/ manager is one of the most powerful person in an organization. He has an inherent authority to exercise power in that organization. However, this power is not absolute it’s subject to limitations.

But there are leaders/managers who allow themselves to be controlled by their power/authority and not themselves ruling over their power/authority. When this happens it beckons disaster for the organization.

When a leader allows his power to get into his head he would do many foolish things. For example, he may act as a dictator by giving unreasonable orders. By saying words and doing things that are inconceivable for a normal leader to say and do. Nonetheless, we also know that those who arrogantly abuse their organizational power are humiliated at the end.  

So what is the lesson for us here? Simple, we should not abuse the organizational power that we hold. Otherwise we will have to pay for it one of these days. As they say, what goes around comes around. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

Let the axe fall where it may fall

What would you do if your friend who happens to be your subordinate is caught by your security guard doing something illegal in your office? For example stealing of office supplies, should you exert effort to protect your friend by whitewashing the offense?   

Or you will not exert any effort to conceal the offense and let the investigation take its natural course until the truth is ferret out? Many organizational leaders and managers will do the right action by letting the natural course of events unfold.

Yet many would also try to protect the friendship or brotherhood by concealing the offense until it’s forgotten. So the offender will escape from any punishment however this is not the right course of action to take. For the reason that the moment the manager/leader does this he is actually telling his friend to do it again and again and again and he/she becomes party to the offense as well.

Yet we all know that crime does not pay sooner or later it will be payback time so the offender will be caught. And the manager/leader/friend will be unmasked as the protector. Why? For the simple reason that this is the natural flow of karma.

Therefore, to avoid any future complication and problem never protect an offender in your workplace. Let the natural flow of justice takes its course even if the subordinate offender is your best friend, fraternity brother or sister and the like.

In other words: Let the axe fall where it may fall for it will enhance your value as an effective, competent and impartial leader/manager.  -  Marino J. Dasmarinas       

How to solve infighting in your organization

Billy is the Chief Executive Officer in an organization that has a population of two hundred workers. Every now and then behavioral issues would crop up amongst his department managers, supervisors and workers. Foremost of these behavioral issues are infighting which eventually results to disharmony, friction and divisiveness.

How should the CEO solve this infighting in his organization? He must solve it without partiality to anyone or without fear or favor. For this is the best way to extinguish organizational conflict. If he would favor a certain group or personality for the reason that he is close to them, he would certainly not be able to solve it.

When a manager/leader smells infighting in his organization he must take action to solve it at the soonest possible time. For the simple reason that every second of inaction would disrupt the smooth operation of his organization.  For example if he was told that there’s a blossoming conflict amongst his supervisors he must therefore immediately look into the veracity of this information.

If he finds out that this information is true, he must immediately intervene so as to disrupt and immediately heal the conflict. He can best do this by privately calling the attention of the parties involve. Why privately and not publicly? For the simple reason that organizational conflicts such as infighting can immediately be solved privately and not publicly.

In the privacy of your office you meet and talk to the parties involve without any partiality. And if possible arrive at a solution of the infighting during the same meeting. This is for the reason that organizational problems and issues should be solved at the soonest possible time. Otherwise it would hurt your organization and your leadership. 

In talking with the parties involve blame game should be out of the picture immediately. Resolution to the infighting should be arrived at based on the issues and not on the involved personalities.

Lest I forget, the tenor of the meeting/talk should always be diplomatic never strong or hateful. As the Bible says: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1).” – Marino J. Dasmarinas     

Should you immediately accept a leadership position being dangled before you?

Nereo is a manager who has an insatiable desire to always be visible in their organization. One morning during a meeting of all department managers the Chief Executive Officer of his organization floated this question: “Anybody of you who wants to lead a task force in this organization”?    

Without careful thinking Nereo immediately raised his hand and said, “I want to lead that task force!” Therefore Nereo was told by his CEO to visit his office so that he could be properly briefed about his duties and responsibilities.

After meeting his CEO Nereo was already feeling drained for the simple reason that he was overwhelmed by the enormity of his responsibilities. The next day he went again to his CEO to tell him that he was giving up his newly acquired leadership position because he cannot measure up to its responsibilities.

A cerebral and humble leader/manager should not immediately present himself when there is a leadership opportunity inside his organization. Even if he is being egg on to immediately accept it he should politely refuse to do so.

He should instead ask for a day or two for him to carefully think it over. In doing so he will have enough time to weigh first the pros and cons and the many hidden responsibilities attach to that leadership opportunity.     

Otherwise if he would immediately accept it because he simply wants to fill his bloated ego. it’s like he’s a sailor jumping into the deep sea without wearing his life jacket and other life saving gears. – Marino J. Dasmarinas