Let’s move on (HR can help)
In line at the convenience store, another shopper placed a two liter bottle of Sprite on the counter. “I just want regular Sprite,” she informed the young man behind the counter, “not this lemon-lime stuff.”
“This is regular Sprite,” the clerk helpfully assured her. “Sprite is always lemon-lime.”
She wasn’t convinced. “I don’t want lemon-lime,” she insisted, pleasantly but adamantly. “I just want regular Sprite.”
While I tried not to crack up, the clerk once again attempted to educate his customer, but she wasn’t buying it, literally or figuratively. She didn’t want this bogus pseudo-Sprite, she wanted what she saw as the real deal, darn it!
Finally he had a brainwave. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” he apologized. “We’re out of regular Sprite. All we have is lemon-lime.”
She considered for a moment. “That’s okay,” she shrugged, “I guess I’ll take it.” He rung up the sale and I was happy when the line moved.
What does this have to do with Human Resources?
Well, often I watch co-workers and customers stagnate and stalemate as they debate stupid crap that doesn’t matter, the workplace equivalent of “Does Sprite only come in lemon-lime?” or “”Is this lemon/lime, or lime/lemon?” or “Did the employee call out sick at 1:59 or 2:01?” or “Who had the attitude first?” or “Who is more overworked and underpaid?” “Who started ignoring whom?” or any other number of pointless details and perspectives that people will probably never agree upon.
I see people debating semantics and minutiae; and meanwhile, the customer is still thirsty! The product is unsold. The problem is unresolved. We are stuck.
I’m not suggesting that we ignore issues or deceive people. But I am saying: let’s not fixate on and get bogged down by extraneous details that we will probably never perceive the same or agree upon. Let’s not get so sidetracked defending ourselves and what we did or did not do. Let’s move on. Let’s look ahead. Let’s solve the problem.
Let’s do our jobs.
And HR professionals, let’s help others figure this out!
photo by leapiaf.geo
So many times in our workplace, HR is ready to move on, and someone in payroll or another department is trying to keep the focus on the minutiae that really don’t even MATTER!
Great suggestions!
Ben Eubanks´s last blog ..A Simple Thanks
Thanks, Ben.
Speaking of minutiae, just thought of this one, “That’s the wrong form! That’s the 6/09 version. You should have used the 10/09 one.)