No. 31 - STRAIGHT TALK THAT PAID OFF

No. 31
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
STRAIGHT TALK THAT PAID OFF

The Golden Rule is to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", but there is another golden rule that also affects the lives of many people. This could be called the Economic Golden Rule, and it can be summed up with these words: "He who has the gold makes the rule." Because we live in a materialistic society, it's important to also understand this other golden rule, otherwise life can be very frustrating.
One of the greatest blessings I have in traveling and making speeches is that I get to meet and know so many fine people. This personal contact with people in all areas of society is where I get most of the ideas and concepts for this newspaper column. However I realize a good idea in itself is of little value to you unless I can show you how to use it and how to turn it into a benefit for your own life. Some time ago, I was visiting with a businessman in south Mississippi and he told me a true story involving one of his employees that contains a very important principle.
It seems the mother of one of his employees had died recently and the employee was fast becoming an alcoholic. Word was beginning to spread that he was talking 'smart' to some of the other employees. Well, the problem reached the point that it became necessary for my new friend to call him into his office. When he did, he closed the door behind him. After they chatted a moment, my friend looked him straight in the eye and called his name. He said, "You know your mother would not be proud of you and the way you are acting. You have a choice. You can either make your mother proud of you or you can become a drunk. But you are not going to be a drunk and work for me."
My friend went on to say, "I don't want your answer now. I want to give you a few days to think about it, but come Monday, you come in sober and be ready to work, or be ready to leave." Well, that was almost ten years ago and the man is still there and has become an excellent employee. He later told his boss, "Mr. Moore, I ain't never had anyone talk to me like that."
You see, with my friend, it was not just an employee with a problem, it was a human being that he really cared about. One of the deepest psychological needs we have is to know that other people care about us and that we are needed and appreciated. As an aside to this true story, the lack of personal concern and caring is why many management people fail when it comes to dealing with employees who have problems. In many cases they treat them impersonally, yet wonder why their turnover rate is so high.
Another amusing part of the story about my friend's wayward employee is when still another employee was having a problem and this man told him, "You better straighten up. You don't want to go into the boss's office and have him close the door behind you." There is not doubt about it, my friend had made a believer out of him!
As I bring this story to a close, there are several obvious things some of us can learn from this experience. In many cases, it's hard to find another person who cares enough about us to look us straight in the eye and tell us the truth. The truth may hurt, but it's better to hear it and do something about it than go on living with the problem. Of course, the primary reason the employee's problem was solved was because the 'Economic Golden Rule' came into play. "He who has the gold makes the rule." Sometimes all it takes is the thought of losing our job to change our attitude and our behavior. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)