“I can’t afford to be sick today!” We moan as we reach for another tissue. “No, I’m not really sick. Just a stuffy nose. I’ll be fine. I’ll muddle through.”
The stuffy nose dilemma is that two-edged sword that for some of us is a good thing. We like our jobs. We are in the middle of important projects, and we don’t want this date-sensitive work to be interrupted by a minor stuffy nose. The choice whether or not to stay home and give ourselves an extra day of rest in order to heal is a choice between two good things.
On the other hand, some of us hate our jobs or bosses or clients, and experience our stuffy nose as a problem compounded by a nuisance. As much as we’d like to stay home (for a variety of reasons), we can already anticipate the snide accusations of stealing a three-day weekend. We feel compelled to show up at work unless we absolutely cannot function.
What a difference in worlds! In the case where each employee chooses to stay home, one is resting comfortably, while the other is worrying about how the absence will be used against him or her. Who do you think has the better chance of getting better that day?
In the case where each employee decides to go into work anyway, one is fully engaged while possible operating at a slower pace, while the other is dragging, resentful, and feeling used. Which person do you think is making a more meaningful contribution when showing up with a stuffy nose?
While we are each individually responsible for our choices and attitudes, there is much we can do as leaders and managers to foster a working culture that engages the best in people.
What policies do you enforce that might be creating an adversarial relationship with your employees? What if your policies had the effect of bringing out the worst in people? Would you be willing to take a look at them?
Next time you wake up with a stuffy nose, what sort of choice do you want facing you?
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