Possibly one of the largest aspects of my purpose is to be approachable and always improving. Does it happen all the time? No. Do I try my best? Yes. Do I feel like a fucking idiot when I suck? Also yes.
I had an employee quit on me because of a high pressure situation and I was definitely not approachable. This specific employee has worked for me for a few years, casually, and I totally love her. I messaged her today to see if she wanted some shifts and she said, “No. I’m not available to come out there at all. After the way you treated and spoke to me on Fathers Day, absolutely not. I am not going to spend my only free weekends helping someone who can so quickly turn to me with disrespect. My time is worth more than that to me.” I literally had no idea what she was talking about. I manage a restaurant/ bar/ campground/ resort and they called for help. I had been there helping out before she got there, as I do every day, getting the day started. I ran right there to assist. Helped in the kitchen, helped take food out, talked with customers, had to comp 3 tables food *tables of 12+. I was basically walking into a shit show and trying to make it better. Tense? Yup. Is that an excuse to piss off my employees? Nope.
I am grateful that she gave me this feedback, instead of just saying, “no thanks, I’d prefer not to take any more shifts there.” It’s not easy to let someone know when they fuck up, but, you HAVE to in order for them to grow and learn from it. I had a terrible server and experience today at a Pizza Hut. I gave them a 1 star review, because everything was terrible. I dug around in my purse to write on my receipt some helpful tips for the server but couldn’t find one. I should’ve chased him down before leaving to help him correct his wrongs.
I live on PURPOSE every day. Some days more than others. But every day I am thankful for feedback, I am always trying to improve as a boss, a mom, a partner, a friend. Reflection is necessary, no one is perfect. Don’t beat yourself up about it, instead take a look at what you can do better next time around and be aware. Be thankful that people can fill you in on your blind spots (or things you don’t know about yourself).