With one company that I work with, it is performance review season. In my consultant role I have no voice; I just watch. This is one part of corporate life that I am happy to not be a part of! With time and experience, I struggle to find the good that follows, however I do believe that feedback given in the right time and place and with the only intent of helping the individual can be a good thing. One aspect of the process that is, for me, challenging to convey is the difference between outcomes linked to one’s choices and actions, and other outcomes where one just happened to be standing in the vicinity.
Outcomes are simply moments in time that are different from ones that preceded it. The become outcomes when we think there is an action that caused the change between the two moments. In some cases, there are witnesses and lots of evidence. In most cases, there are number of people, acting, doing, being, touching, and resisting in the same space. The specific reason for change are, at best, attributed or perceived. Lessons that I have learned to date include the following.
Self centered actions often lead to negative outcomes. While I might benefit, others lose. On the whole, I have taken from the community and we are collectively less for it.
Bad outcomes do occur within good communities and to good people. They may not deserve it or have done anything to earn it, but the outcome is still bad (worse than before).
Good and evil actions often stand out in contrast to each other. When people act with evil intent, any good underway will “then boomeranged their evil back on them: for their evil ways he wiped them out, our God cleaned them out for good.” (Psalm 94.23)
Earning the right for credit should be our goal, not taking the credit. Humility is admirable and lasting, greed has its own reward and inevitably comes back to haunt.
Yesterday is a learning opportunity. Now is the time for doing more good.
