Sorry, not coming today??

Have you been a boss or you are a boss now? What are kind of boss are you? Well I have no intention to bring this further to the leadership things like whether you falls under the leaders category, or the dictator or just a superior and that sort of things....no ...not talking about that?

I would just like to talk about being a human boss...Or do you have this human element when you lead your role as a boss or you turn into a beast or monster when you become a boss or you are the understanding ones? Of course with or without you realising it...

I have been to that role to, a boss and a subordinate. When you received calls like, “Sorry can’t make it today, because my child is sick” or “My child is hospitalized so I would like to take a few days more to take care of the child”. And at that time, you have so many tasks to complete and deadlines are killing and these peoples are not coming.

Arghhh..... Have you been there? What is your response? Are these your response “Sorry you can’t take leave, if you didn’t come, you will get warning letter for absent from work without superior approval” or you just shout “Kalau tak datang berhenti je terus. Orang lain pun ada anak jugak takdela asyik ambil cuti je”..... Do you give such response?

I ‘m not going to elaborate further on how you should cope on your job with less resources but I would like to suggest that you accept the reasons, that you work in a high trust environment and that you trust your subordinate with that reasons. However, you can always ask your subordinate for evidence from the hospitals.

Because family are just too important to be ignore or to be put less priority compared to your job. Yes, you need money to feed your loves ones, but will it give any value if you lost them while searching for that money? Will it be worth it? So, if you were a boss, you better think twice before asking your subordinate to leave his/her sick child and come to work. Because if something bad happen.....do you want to be responsible? Can you live with that feeling of guilty? For me, I don’t want to.

Or may be you don’t feel anything, if something bad happen, well that’s fate so why blame you or why you should feel guilty. Well, if this is the case, let’s try this one. Imagine that you’re dying. Will you prefer to die alone and not having the chance to say goodbye or sorry to your love ones? And just waiting for your dying moment without anybody to talk to and just crying in pain alone? Or you prefer to be with your loves ones, to spend more time with them, to let them know how much you love and appreciate them? Which one?? Answer people??

And if were a subordinate, an employee, and you were in this difficult situation, struggling between work and attending a sick child or parents, if you have to choose.... Choose your loves one. Because your loves one has no replacement. And trust me, when you’re sick there is nothing else that you want more other than being with your loves one.

By the way, nobody ask or would want to a have a sick family members, isn’t?

Well, bosses, subordinates, employees, life is about making choices....
To choose may not be easy, so learn, think with heart and mind and don’t lost that common sense when you that make that choice :)

AYu