Have you ever met a couple that is together and wondered why? The term “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” literally means that the perception of beauty is subjective. You or I can have differing opinions on what is beautiful. What one person perceives as attractive, faultless, and charming might be quite the contrary to another.
Subjective Standards of Beauty in Building Design
The employment world works much the same way, with differing opinions on who might be faultless and charming. Have you ever thought, How could he or she work for that person? Or How could that company have hired that person? The difference between a personal relationship and an employment relationship, especially an employment relationship in the construction industry, is that external beauty is not a determining factor for whether a person can or will perform their responsibilities.
Attractiveness in construction management, administration, and accounting that wins over the masses has to do with the ability to effectively, efficiently, and pleasantly collaborate with others to complete the responsibilities assigned, respectively. After all, successful projects and companies thrive on the working practice of collaboration, whereby individuals work together for a common purpose to achieve business benefits.
Poor Workplace Aesthetics
What can be unattractive in the workplace, opening questions as to why your employer is fond of you?
An Inflated Ego. There is nothing wrong with feeling important. It is when another puts their importance ahead of the overall importance of everyone required to get the job done. The three-letter word “ego” kills the twelve-letter word “relationship” when it gets inflated.
Lack of Urgency. If you do everything in your own time instead of taking time to understand how your timing may affect others, this can be extremely unpleasant to your teammates. This is especially true if they need your piece to complete theirs.
Controlling Actions. The difference between being in control and controlling others is demonstrated through delegation and empowerment. If you have to be part of everything directly instead of informed and kept up to date, then others will find your actions repugnant, as they will feel manipulated and monitored.
Unaccountable. If you shirk your responsibilities and/or do not take ownership of what is assigned to you, then those who have to pick up the slack for you will find your actions abhorrent. After all, they have their own responsibilities, yet they most likely pick up some or all of yours because they care about their jobs and the success of the company. You should too.
Uncompromising. Someone unable to compromise to find solutions that benefit all parties and resolutions that are best for the project is far from attractive. They are the most difficult people to work with and cost the industry millions of dollars a year with their inability to collaborate effectively.
The Unfortunate Results of Unattractive Behavior
All too often, employers and supervisors are unaware of the above behaviors until something seriously goes wrong on a project. The unfortunate part is that by then, the root cause gets covered up, with the supervisor stepping in and taking the lead. In doing so, instead of observing the unattractive behaviors, they stall the unpleasant actions, only to have the next project affected without knowing the root cause. Signs can be subcontractors not wanting to bid for another job with the company or other employees resigning or asking to be reassigned with others.
Love Is a Great Teacher
This month we celebrate Valentine’s Day. A day set aside to show love. True love, whether romantic or humanitarian, is patient and kind, not jealous or rude. Love does not insist on its own way or be irritable or resentful. Love does not rejoice at the wrong of another but when things are right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Cor 13:4) Yet when someone else can’t love back, relationships end despite the other’s ability to show and receive love or not.
Speak Up in Love—At Home and in the Workplace
If you work with an uncompromising, unaccountable, controlling, lackadaisical, or egotistical individual in the workplace, you know how their behavior can pull the love out of your job and project and affect your ability to maintain your own loving behavior with time. Although you might say nothing to a friend in a romantic relationship, the workplace is much different, no matter how beautiful they are on the outside. For the love of your company and the love of others, speak up in love—professionally and timely. After all, the truth in love could save your company, your project, and a whole lot of relationships.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
To Collaboration with Admiration,
Suzanne Breistol
