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TRAINING

they were simply part of the scenery they needed What? This didn’t sound like his team, so he asked
to walk past on their way to perform their duties? the guys (many of whom still kept in touch with
him) what was going on. They told him they never

In one final case, a much beloved Facilities saw or heard from the new manager unless he
Manager with many locations spread across his needed something from them. He hadn’t bothered
facility had no problem engaging his workforce to try to talk to them or get to know them at all. In
and getting them to go to the wall for him - fact, their exact words were:
even the Millennial generation that many Baby
Boomers and Gen Xers find difficult to engage. “If he doesn’t care about us, why should we care
But this Baby Boomer manager talked to them about him?”
and visited them (even when he didn’t need
anything from them) just to say hello and see if BOOM! Same team, same duties... different

they needed anything from him. results. The tragedy is that this new manager
could have created INSTANT MAGIC with his
Nice change, right? Instead of asking for something team members if he had just taken the time to
from them, he asked if he could do anything for occasionally visit and say a few words to them to
them! Because he cared about them (and showed show that he cared about them as people first,
it), they cared about their jobs (and showed it) and employees second. Instead, his silence was

because that was one way to demonstrate how deafening as it sent the subtle message that he
much they cared about him in return. wasn’t even going to bother talking to them unless
he needed something from them.
When that manager retired, he trained his
replacement, telling the new manager what a The above stories are great lessons because,
great group of guys he had, and offering his best while we all understand that leaders can’t
piece of advice: visit the different locations once be “best friends” with their team members,
in a while, talk to the guys, get to know them, let we often forget that there is a big difference
them get to know you. between friendship and friendliness. Friendship
involves doing things with and for each other,

About a year later, he heard from the new even outside of work, and could be perceived as
manager, who complained bitterly about fostering favoritism inside the workplace. But
how he couldn’t get the guys to do anything friendliness simply involves being human and
without repeatedly asking, and even caring about others, regardless of their position,
occasionally threatening, because they weren’t status or relationship with us outside the
doing their jobs. workplace. When we’re friendly, our humanity

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