The Hardest Thing About Working is the Coworkers!

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Patti Fralix

I was speaking with a new friend recently about her career. She had recently retired and was sharing her experience. While she did not give any details, she made the statement that “the hardest thing about working is the coworkers!”  I have heard this so many times over the years that I decided the subject is worthy of a blog. I decided to broaden the subject to “getting along well with others.”

One of the richest experiences we have in life are our relationships. We spend so much time with others at work and in our personal lives that we need to know how to make our relationships with others positive, not negative.  Just like many things we talk about in my blogs, this is not easy to do.

There are many different types of people and personalities. It is easier to get along well with those who are like us. When we have differences, be they perspective, personality, age, gender, life experiences, and many other differences, it is harder to get along well with others. This is especially true when we think we are right and the other person is wrong, and we even tell them so!  When we add to this the control issues that are sometimes involved, we have situations that too often end up with misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

Some of the differences we have with others are easy to observe, such as gender, and others are more hidden, such as experiences and perspectives. When we assume the other person is like us, our assumptions can cause us difficulties. When we communicate with others from our dominant communication style, we can create even more difficulties. While it is not always easy to determine another’s experiences and perspectives, we can communicate with others in a manner that can build relationships.

This is a big subject, impossible to fully explore in this blog. So, I will give a few helpful points that can help us stay out of trouble with others. Note that I say, “can help us stay out of trouble with others.” There are no guarantees. Regardless of what we say and do, there are some people with whom nothing we do will work. Those are the people we should avoid being around, when possible.

Getting along well with others, especially those who are not like us, requires that we figure out a few things about them, without being obvious about it. For example, is the other person a direct communicator, or an indirect communicator? Regardless of which one of these we are, we should communicate with the other person in their style, not ours. A direct communicator uses less words, gets to the bottom line quickly, and does not “soften” what they say. One who is more indirect in their style uses qualifiers, which often “soften” what is being said. “It seems like” is an example of a qualifier phrase, as is “In my experience.” Qualifier words include “perhaps,” “maybe,” and “sometimes.” We can understand the other person’s style by asking a question such as, “What has been your experience with this?” If the answer is definitive, the style may be direct, not indirect. If the style is more indirect, we should respond in kind.  If we are too direct with an indirect person, they may react, either overtly or covertly.

Words to use that are best to use to draw out the opinion of others are “what” and “how.” We should avoid using the word “why,” since this word can create a situation in which the other person feels put on the spot. We can get the same information by using “what” and “how.” Also, determine if the other person is more open, or more reserved in their communication style. People who are more open volunteer their thoughts and opinions. Those who are more reserved often wait for the other person to initiate conversation.

One other tip. To get along well with others, ask more questions and make less statements. The type of questions that are best are those that draw out the opinion of the other person, without being too direct. Questions such as “What has been your experience with this?” That is a better question to ask than “What do you think about…….?” While this is a subtle difference, it is an important one.

Communication is our most valuable asset in getting along well with others. We will not always get it right. Using these few pointers can help us to be more effective when working and living with others.

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Cleaning Out, Again.

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Patti Fralix
It is time for me to reread my book!

I was looking for a particular color of nail polish, which I never found. But I found so much more. Even I was shocked at the duplicates and multiples I discovered in my search for that one color of nail polish. I found at least ten (probably more; I didn’t count them) tubes of mascara, all at least 1.5 years old. How do I know how old they are? Simply because they were under the sink and were put there when we downsized and moved into our current home. They had been packed up in the move since I did not have time to go through them then. And although I have gone through many more boxes and things since the move, make-up under the bathroom sink had not yet been a priority.

There were also many unopened skincare and make-up packets given to me by my favorite make-up saleswoman. Of course, most of them are also at least 1.5 years old. Many are duplicates, and some of the items I do not even use. An example of one I do not use is neck cream. While I am sure that if I used the neck cream my neck would look better, but taking the time to apply the neck cream is something I do not do.

One discovery that I was glad to find are multiple eyebrow brushes. I was needing to purchase a new eyebrow pencil until I found at least eight to ten perfectly good ones. I know what some of you are thinking. I realize that any make-up more than six months old (and some “experts” recommend three months old) should be thrown away. But I have never done that. Do you?

With less stuff to try to keep organized, there will be more time for this.

I should probably not even go through all of the stuff; I should just throw all of it out without even being tempted to keep any of it. And I may do that. I left those piles to be dealt with later when I return from a trip I am taking later today. I am seriously considering just trashing all of it. But not before I deal with the lessons all of that may be sent to teach me.

I want to be this peaceful. 

The dominant message this mess is teaching me is how much money I have wasted through the years by buying more of what I already have, but don’t know that I have. Another message is that although I spend a lot of time organizing my stuff, there is more to organize than I have time to keep up with. That means that I have too much. While that is not really news to me, I do not think I was aware of how much stuff in many different categories I have, so much stuff that at times like this I feel like it is choking me.

I am making a moratorium on purchasing any new makeup or skin care products through the rest of this year. So, for at least six months I will not purchase any. I have plenty, even with throwing all of what I just discovered out. This reminds me of my year of no spending. (2006.) I need to go back and read my book again!

I have decided to throw all of that stuff I just found under my bathroom sink out, except for a couple of the eyebrow brushes. I will throw out all of the mascara since I do not want to risk using anything that close to my eyes that is that old. I am not concerned about the eyebrow brushes, although I will pay attention to my eyebrows, and make sure they remain healthy, at least what is left of them! I am not going to even go through the unopened packets so I won’t be tempted to keep any of it.

I have tried to stuff many of the same contents I had in an almost five thousand square foot house into a less than two thousand square foot house. It has not worked. So, I still have some hard decisions to make.

Enough about me. How about you? Do you have any of these challenges?

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50 Short Years

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Patti Fralix
A proud 1974 graduate of The University if Virginia.

How could it be 50 years? How could 50 years have passed since I graduated from the University of Virginia? I am a proud member of the first class of undergraduate women admitted to The University in the Fall of 1970, graduating four years later in May of 1974. I returned this past weekend for our 50th reunion. It was magical, truly magical.

Alda Grimes Biddell and me. Alda and I were suite mates in 1970. She is one of my oldest (not in age, but in years we have been) friends.

The reunion weekend was filled with accolades for the trailblazing class of undergraduate women, 350 women who joined 9,000 plus (may I say?) boys in that first year, graduating four years later. There were many stories of that significant first year, when we weathered the storms of a major cultural change, changing a conservative male university into a coeducational institution. One of the reunion weekend events was the taking of a commemorative professional photo of the Class of 1974 Women which will be unveiled in September and hung in perpetuity at the University.

A new friend who I loved getting to know, Rebecca Lieser. 

Our entire 1974 class was honored in so many ways during the reunion. We won several trophies, including the trophy for the largest amount donated to the University, an amount greater than 64 million dollars! Let that sink in; 64 million dollars. An amazing amount of money for an amazing institution.

A commemorative scarf and cap designed for the class of 1974 women.
An unexpected honor at the end of a presentation by 1974 women sharing their experiences.

The Alumni staff, volunteers, and many others hosted a phenomenal reunion weekend. There was more food than anyone needed to eat, but did anyway, with lunches, cocktail parties, and dinners that spanned three days. While there was plenty of walking, there was also convenient and free parking. There were informative sessions by 1974 alumni including politico Larry Sabato, a Town Hall Meeting featuring UVA President Jim Ryan, and several sessions of 1974 women graduates sharing their (some good, some not) memories of those very important years.  

Robert Hilliard, a 1974 graduate, gave all attendees a copy of his book. 

While the reunion was a time of reconnecting with old friends for many, for me it was more a meeting of new friends. I have not done a good job of staying connected to classmates from that time in my life.  I went to the reunion alone, and that turned out to be a positive experience. Being alone forced me to engage with people I did not know, enjoying getting to know some people whom I never would have met otherwise.  

The circle of life continues. While I just celebrated my 50th college graduation, our grandson, Andrew, graduated from Kindergarten Tuesday. 

It was a whirlwind weekend. I will long treasure going down memory lane for three short days at The University. My University. The University of Virginia.

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Building Confidence

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Patti Fralix

Do you know what are your non-negotiable needs? These are needs that must be met for you to feel and act most confident and effective.

Living our purpose is necessary to feel most confident. 

I am sure that you know the difference in needs and wants. I am also sure that you realize that needs are the deeper of the two. While we may have strong wants, wants are still not as important as needs. Unfortunately, too many people spend so much time getting their wants met that their needs can’t be met. For example, if I want new shoes and have no money to buy them and purchase them with a credit card, my need for financial stability may not be met. While I have satisfied my immediate want for new shoes, I have sacrificed my need for financial stability.

There is a simple quiz below that you can answer to understand more about your non-negotiable needs. The quiz asks you to decide which of four possible answers is most true and which is least true for you. Once you take the quiz, decide if you’re getting those non-negotiable needs met most of the time. If you are, you can feel and act confident, regardless of all that is going on around you. If you aren’t, you should identify why not, and work hard to remedy that.

Confidence has two parts: self-esteem and self-confidence. Self-esteem is the deeper of the two and comes from belief in ourselves at the core, belief that we are worthy. Healthy self-esteem is developed as a child, from the nurturing we receive from our parents or other caretakers. If we fail to get good and consistent nurturing as a child, we struggle as an adult, regardless of our accomplishments. Self-esteem is not directly related to external variables such as accomplishments. If we lack healthy self-esteem, it is necessary to build this through therapy. This is not quick or easy but can be done with time, commitment, and a good therapist.

Self-confidence is directly related to achievement and accomplishment. Self-confidence is the more external of the two and will change as our circumstances change. It can be helpful to work with a therapist if we are having confidence issues, although these are more situational and do not always require such assistance.

A belated Happy Memorial Day and gratitude for all who served and serve. 

My focus in this blog is on Confidence for a reason. Given our ongoing challenges as a society, there are many opportunities for us to struggle with Confidence issues. We need to take ownership of this issue and do all that we can to be our best, which requires that we feel and act confident. Identifying our nonnegotiable needs is a good place to start.  

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People Skills

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Patti Fralix

I left a coaching session today, thinking about the client. I have been working with this client for several months, and I always look forward to our sessions. While I try to not work with clients who I do not enjoy working with, sometimes it happens, and even when the client isn’t difficult, one enjoys working with some more than others. I was thinking about this particular client, wanting to know what it was about her that made me look forward to our times together. I wanted to understand this in the hope that I can share the experience to help others. Since the details of coaching should protect one’s anonymity, I will not name this client, even though my comments about her are positive.

 It is never too late to be the person who attracts people.

As I thought about this client, her behavior includes that she is positive, optimistic, and engaging. She is also fun to work with. She is very open and allows herself to be vulnerable once trust is established. She is also giving, and the best example I have of this is that I have two new clients from her referral. It is obvious that she has a good friend network.

As I think about my client and her positive behaviors, I remember a conversation years ago with an office mate, who happened to be male. While I do not remember the context of the conversation, I recall his main point. He mentioned that we either attract people to us, or repel them, and that this happens by our behaviors. He went on to discuss that to attract people to us they have to feel safe with us. They have to be willing and able to be vulnerable with us.

As I think about all of this, I wonder if there is an in-between regarding whether we attract people to us or repel them. I decided that there isn’t, that an in-between might make us feel better, especially if we think we might not attract others to us, but it would be a “splitting hairs” issue. In essence, people either like us, or they don’t.

This is an important issue. If people like us, they’ll do what they can to help us. If they don’t like us, while they will not necessarily try to harm us, our interactions with them will not be positive. Connections are so important, and when our connections with others are good, we are able to have and accomplish so much more.

I want to be more like my client; positive, optimistic, engaging, fun, and giving. Life is so much better when we have people in our lives who are good, and who make us feel good when we are around them.        

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Service Successes and Failures 

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Patti Fralix

I have been speaking and consulting on Customer Service for many years. I still continue to be amazed at the lack of service from so many businesses. I also have an occasional experience of exceptional customer service. Let me tell you about the good and not-so-good examples of service that I have experienced lately.  

I have a small antiques and gifts business that I have had for at least thirty years. For that same time, I have rented a storage building in Southport, NC where my shops are located. Until recently, the storage was owned by Carl Ward, and Ward’s storage was run as a family business. Recently Mr. Ward retired and sold his business to a national chain. While the national chain has only owned this business for a couple of months, they have made several changes that adversely impact their customers, and without prior notification. My heart is racing, and my nerves are on edge just writing about these! 

The first change was that they removed the large property dumpster, with no plans to replace it. This dumpster was a major convenience for customers.  The second change was that they added an insurance fee to the monthly payment and did not notify me at all before the new and increased amount was automatically withdrawn from my checking account. I think increasing the auto draft without notifying the customer who approves such might be illegal. I am so angry about that, and not just because of the money, but because of the poor customer service. 

I am so bothered by the way this new company does business that I am planning to move my stuff to another local storage facility that is run as a family business without the insurance requirement. I have a friend who rents from this other facility and recommends them highly. While it will cost me moving fees to make this change, and will therefore cost me more in the short term, long term I believe that I will recover this additional cost. But it really isn’t about the cost. It is about the way customers are being mistreated by the new owners of the storage facility where I have been a loyal customer for thirty years. 

This pertains to customer service problems as well as other problems. The best action when we are devalued as a customer is to take our business elsewhere. 

A couple of other recent customer problems. I called two different businesses yesterday and, of course, was routed to voicemail. I left messages, neither of which has yet been returned. One of those calls was to the storage facility from which I am soon leaving. The other was to a company from which I purchase products. Perhaps you wonder how soon a call should be returned. The standard is the same business day whenever possible, and no later than the end of the next business day. Yes. People call a business because they need something. If a business does not care enough to even return a phone call in a timely manner, we should not trust them with our business.  

Now, to calm my nerves, let me tell you about a good customer situation. I have a new car, which needed an oil change. I brought this Honda to a dealership for service about six weeks ago, thinking it was time for an oil change. The service technician showed me how to see when an oil change is due (I was going by mileage,) and told me I did not need the oil change yet. Yes, he cared more about what I really needed than the dealership getting my money then! Of course, I came back for the oil change when it was needed and am here now waiting for the service to be completed.  

Carmax was a great customer experience when I recently bought my new (to me!) Honda.

I am most impressed with Reggie Jackson Honda, which is less than ten minutes from my home. I would come here for service even if it wasn’t so convenient. One reason is what I just mentioned about my first experience with the dealership. There are other reasons. They give a free car wash, which takes one other item off my to-do list today and saves me time and money. The facility is high-tech, sparkling clean, and comfortable. Service can be booked by phone or online, and they send a reminder email about the appointment. The people are friendly. I can sense that the time I was given for my work to be completed will be accurate. All of these were not provided by the dealership where I had my previous service done.  

I can sense a good system at Reggie Jackson Honda. I know that people don’t fail, systems do. If and when people fail, it is because the system failed.   

The best customer service found anywhere: Harry and Ron at Joe’s Jewelry store in St. Maarten, where we have shopped every year for more than twenty years. 

You might wonder why I have named some of the businesses I have discussed, but not others. While I am glad to identify those businesses that do well, I do not choose to name those who fail to provide good service. There is too much negativity in the world, and I do not want to add to it. If the businesses that do not provide good service behave with other customers as they have with me, Karma will take care of the problem.  

What goes around does come around, eventually.  

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Confidence, Competence, and Commitment

Posted on May 10, 2024 by Patti Fralix
One example of Human Skills.

These are challenging times. Prices on most everything have increased, there is job and career insecurity for many people, and the world’s problems continue to cause us great concern. What can we do to manage these times?

When things are outside of our control, and all of the above-mentioned problems are, our best response is to manage our own behavior. People who are confident, competent, and committed will be more successful in navigating through these times. This is much easier to talk about and write about than to do. But it is the best insurance we have for the challenges facing us.

The order of these three behaviors is intentional. First of all, we need to be and remain confident. We need to portray confidence even, or especially when all around us is shifting. We need to portray confidence, not arrogance. Others need to see and feel that we are able to deal effectively with the ambiguity of changing times.

Even the Girl Scouts believe Confidence and Commitment are important, and Competence is reflective of some of the other behaviors mentioned. 

What does confidence look like? People who display confidence are assertive, energetic, and poised. People who are perceived as assertive communicate well with others. They use direct language yet are not directive with others. They have good posture. They make good eye contact. They display an energy level that is fast-paced, but not frenzied. They greet others well and shake hands if appropriate. (Covid concerns have changed some of the “rules” about touching others, including the appropriateness of shaking hands.)

What is Competence? Competence certainly includes having the technical and professional knowledge and skills needed for particular jobs. It also includes having the human skills to get along well with many different types of people. “Human skills” is a better descriptive term than the term often used for these, which is “soft skills.” If one has great technical and professional skills yet lacks human skills, that deficit in human skills will overshadow the technical and professional skills. Competence is an expectation.

One famous business consultant’s opinion!

What is commitment? What does it look like? People who are committed do what the job requires, even when it isn’t convenient. People who are committed are not clock watchers, although it is not expected that they will give so much time to their jobs that their personal priorities are neglected. People who are committed represent the company well at all times, even at office parties where alcohol flows. Commitment is not the same as loyalty, although they are related. Loyalty is not as common as it used to be (a boomer talking!) but commitment is still expected. 

Many people are committed, yet sometimes they are more committed to their own wants and needs than what the company or job needs from them. I will be so bold as to propose that this is a greater problem with those workers in the younger age groups than people in older age groups. And while this is not all bad, the person who puts their own wants and needs above those of the job or company will not be perceived as committed.

A great example of Confidence, Competence, and Commitment, even when faced with unthinkable human suffering.

While Covid taught us that work can be done remotely and productivity does not necessarily suffer, and may even improve, remote work should be determined by the needs of the company and the job in concert with the employees’ needs or wants. Management and employees need to be flexible in this regard, doing their best to meet the needs of the employees as well as the company. But when push comes to shove, and it sometimes does, committed employees must meet the needs of the job and company, and if they can’t, they need to move on so someone who can and will have the opportunity.

What do you think? Do confidence, competence, and commitment help us navigate the demands of a changing world? When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Are you confident, competent, and committed?

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A Celebration of Commitment

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Patti Fralix
Our anniversary treat from Vinny’s Restaurant.

Mike and I celebrated our fortieth anniversary on Sunday, April 28th.  It is hard to believe that we have been married for forty years. I know that many of you are like me and wonder where the years have gone. I suppose only old people talk about that!

We weren’t sure how we wanted to celebrate this momentous occasion, but we knew that we wanted to celebrate. We did not need a big party. We had a big party for our twenty-fifth anniversary, and we probably will celebrate in a grander way for our fiftieth, if we are around to do so.

Family who were at Virginia’s state gymnastics meet, L to R: Mom Tara, Mike, gymnast Virginia, me, Steve and Jane Kinney (Virginia’s other grandparents) and Virginia’s Aunt Candi and her fiancé Joel. 

We decided to start our weekend off with a trip to Roswell, Georgia to watch our eleven-year-old granddaughter Virginia compete in the state gymnastics tournament. That was great fun! We stayed in the same hotel as our daughter Tara and Virginia on Friday night and went to a dine-in movie theatre with them and saw Ghostbusters. The environment was great, the food was good, and the movie was entertaining. The next morning, we saw Virginia compete, and we were so proud of her. It was wonderful to see other family members there also.

Once the meet was over and Tara and Virginia were headed back to St. Marys, Georgia, I went shopping with a good friend, Lisa, who lives in the area. We spent quite a bit of time in the best consignment shop I have ever seen, Board of Trade. That evening our friends Lisa and her husband Alan treated us to a lovely dinner at a wonderful restaurant, Vinny’s. The entire day was so special.  

Our sweet friends, Alan and Lisa, who treated us to an anniversary dinner. 

On Sunday, our actual anniversary, Mike and I drove to Myrtle Beach to spend a few days relaxing. We stayed in a lovely Hilton resort. The highlight of that part of the trip was a dinner at Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse, where the Hilton staff had the restaurant staff toast us for our anniversary, complete with delicious desserts. I do not think I have ever eaten as much at one time as I did that meal! The food was all scrumptious. It is good that I had my monthly Weight Watchers weigh-in that morning, and that I have plenty of time to get off the extra weight I am sure I gained from that meal before I need to weigh in for May!

Our anniversary celebration at Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse in Myrtle Beach.

Celebrations are important. When we remain committed to marriage for forty years, we need to celebrate. Mike and I so appreciate the kindness of family and friends in helping us celebrate, from the many kind remarks of congratulations on Facebook, the cards and texts we received, to Tara’s treat of the movie and dinner, and Alan and Lisa’s treat of dinner. We are richly blessed.

Knowing that it is (near) impossible for Mike and me to be alive to celebrate another forty years, I do wish for life and good health for the next ten years, so we can celebrate fifty years of marriage and commitment.

I hope that the next ten years bring all of you life and good health as well!

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Staying In Our Own Lane!

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Patti Fralix

This blog was initially to be a call to action for managers. The reason for this is that I have heard too many stories lately of intimidating managers making inappropriate comments to staff. Comments that belittle staff and place them in uncomfortable positions. I will write a longer blog on exactly that at some point, but I decided to shift the focus in this blog somewhat and speak to all of us, for we can make inappropriate comments without even meaning to. Some of those comments are not just inappropriate, they are hurtful. We should all be careful about how we say what we say and stay in our own lane. You might ask, “What exactly does staying in our own lane mean?”

What we say and do in relationship with others matters a lot! 

Staying in our own lane first of all means to mind our own business. I know you have heard what is often said, “If you aren’t involved, stay out of it.” Also, “If you aren’t part of the solution, don’t be part of the problem.” One of the problems with this is that some people love to meddle, and keep things stirred up. Others can try to drag us into things that we have no business getting into. We need to be smarter and better than getting caught up in that.

While this is true, it is not a license to offend others.

One way for us to stay out of trouble is to remember our role. For example, as a Nana who loves her grandchildren, I sometimes forget my role! If I am not careful, I put my opinion in where it is not wanted or needed with my adult children. (Well, even if I think my opinion is needed, if I forget that I am the grandparent and not the parent, I can cause unnecessary conflict!) Our adult children often need our approval, never our criticism. If we remember how hard it is to balance kids and their schedules, meals, work, and other priorities, we will help where we can, praise as often as we can, and avoid any behavior or words that can be hurtful.

With friends, we should remember that our appropriate role is usually one of support, not Director. Sometimes we get hooked thinking our friends want our opinion when they really just want to vent and want our approval, and they do not want us to tell them what to do. The same can be true for our spouse.

There is a caveat to all of this. If we think others we care about are struggling and need our help, we may need to intervene, but how we do that is so important. Certainly, if someone’s behavior is problematic to the point of potential or actual abuse, we need to get involved. But that is not usually the case when we get into trouble with others. We often get into trouble with others when we let our personalities dominate and fail to factor in the other person’s personality and communication style.   

Cappuccino keeps me calm and helps me to behave better!

We all have opinions, and some of us are good about how we voice those opinions to others. Some of us need to improve in this area. Some of us need to work on staying in our own lane.

How successful are you at staying in your own lane? I need to work on this. Once again, I am writing what I need to learn.

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Do People Not Care Anymore?!

Posted on April 18, 2024 by Patti Fralix

“People just don’t care anymore.” Those words were spoken by the man behind the counter at my new favorite coffee shop. I assume he is the owner, but I am making an assumption. He made this comment when we were discussing why the coffee shop has reduced its hours. He told me how eight people just left over the last month and did not return to work without any notice given. While he also said there isn’t enough business to warrant the coffee shop staying open later, he said the main reason for closing earlier is staffing.

Our job can also be our passion, living out our purpose.

Do people really not care anymore? Are people taking jobs they really don’t want and then leaving when something they think is better comes along? Are people being hired without references being checked from their last place of employment? Do hiring managers not know that if someone leaves their previous job without working out a reasonable notice they may repeat this behavior in their current job? This is similar to the person who has an affair not realizing that if it was done with them, it can be done to them?! Go figure!

Our influence will be positive or negative. When one leaves a job without a proper notice, that influence is negative.

It goes without saying that work is more complicated than ever before, especially as it relates to how to recruit, train, and manage those in the younger generations. Younger people are different indeed. They expect a different workplace, and they are in position to demand it. More and more people want to work remotely, or at least, have a hybrid situation. Work does not hold the same value for many people today, at least not to the same degree it once did. Given all this, managers need to change their expectations.

Work needs to be FUN and provide incentives other than financial to attract and retain the talent needed in many jobs. While loyalty was important in the past, not as much so today. Younger workers are as interested (I hesitate to say “more interested,” but possibly!) in what the job can do for them than what they are expected to do in the job. And can we blame them? Most companies do not offer an incentive for long service, or retirement benefits. It seems that we have subconsciously bought into the premise that the company is no longer loyal to employees, so why would employees be loyal to the company?

What do you think? Am I right? If so, what are some of the solutions to the dilemma for both workers and management? What is happening isn’t working, so what can?

As for my coffee shop, remote work or hybrid work is not possible. My barista needs to be present to prepare my cappuccino.

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