Monday, October 22, 2012

Remembering the Human


I recall a fire chief who made an observation to the effect that the type of people who rush into burning buildings are not likely to return to the fire station and quietly watch public television. We demand a great deal from people and, in so doing, must not forget that they are human. This is especially the case when part of their job involves a suspension of the rational, such as entering a burning building or walking into a dark warehouse where a criminal may be lurking.

It can also apply to less extreme examples. Should we turn every instance of stupidity or indiscretion into a major event worthy of investigation and lawyers or instead regard most of them as simply meriting a firm "Don't do that again" underlined by the clear understanding that the warning was not an idle one?

An early lesson for any supervisor is that people screw up. They do so because they are neither angels nor machines. An environment that does not adjust for that may be the most dysfunctional of all. 

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