There’s a wickedly smart worker at a business downtown. The work she does is excellent and the connections she makes with customers keep them coming back.
But, every now and then, people wonder why she’s not where she’s supposed to be on time, why the project didn’t get completed on deadline, why her attitude is poor.
It’s because of people like her that many of us wave the words around, “I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.” We understand there’s a likely reason for the unexpected actions.
However, many may think she’s so talented that nothing could bring her down or make her fumble on the job. They’ve created an ideal of perfection, which, to a degree, is the fault of the worker herself for setting the bar so high. Sure.
But, it’s near-sighted to hold someone else accountable for being incredible 100 percent of the time even when we’re used to it.
Equally unfair to expecting perfection is wishing the imperfection away or trying to force the excellence in one area of life to another.
I’d say it’s the flaws, the fact there are reasons to offer people the benefit of the doubt that makes them a joy to work with and be around.
Imagine for a moment if the person who is excellent at work is the same at home and in their community. You probably imagine a robot void of emotion, right? Because that’s what it would take for someone to excel at every facet of their life.
So, maybe benefit of the doubt is the wrong expression to use. Maybe it’s, “They’re human. Let’s talk to them to see what the source of the issue is and how we can help. Maybe they only need some slack or maybe they need a friend.”
Responsibility isn’t about letting people be. It’s being there for them when they’re on and even closer when they’re off.
That’s the real benefit of the doubt.
Stay Positive & “How Can I Help?” May Be The Most Powerful Words
Photo credit
- The Quickest Way To Better - November 23, 2024
- Established Goals - November 22, 2024
- Lessons From The Presentation - November 21, 2024
