It’s hard to imagine a politician being responsible for this quote, let alone anyone who listens to politicians. Especially since nearly everyone is raised to be kind, get along, and help others. Parents teach that, religions teach that, and schools teach that. But after that, just about the only place that tries to reinforce that are workplaces. And to some extent, elementary schools, sports teams, the military, choirs, orchestras, and hobby clubs. As an HR professional, I often wonder why that is – it’s hard to enforce these kinds of personal traits when everywhere else our employees look is filled with polarization, animosity, and contempt. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not trying to make a political statement here, only that the values we strive to instill in our workplaces tend to run counter to what people (our employees) see in the rest of the world we all live in. And yet, we do a pretty good job of promoting tolerance and teamwork during the time that people are at work, getting them to their natural personas and habits at the door and becoming employees who must work together (and get along with each other) to get things done. Part of something bigger than themselves. With stated values and objectives. And performance and behavior management goal. Catching people doing things right. Coaching them to achieve their ambitions. Parenting, teaching, and managing are difficult professions – but that’s where the concepts of choosing forgiveness rather than division, and teamwork over ambition are promoted and reinforced. Let’s all strive to do a little more of that in our personal lives today.
Jean-François Copé (born 1964): French academic, author, and politician.
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