Mr. Rogers was always on point with the right questions to ask…
The Thrive Global Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.
Mr. Rogers did not adequately prepare me for the people in my neighborhood?
It’s true that we can’t always pick our family or often our coworkers. And often we feel “stuck” with the people, we find in our neighborhood, even helpless to combat against how they impact our lives.
But that feeling in not always the most accurate portrait of reality. It’s how we respond to these neighbors that can make the world of difference.
We tolerate a lot, on any given day – often we find ourselves putting up with, accepting, taking on, and being dragged down by other people’s behavior, situations, unmet needs, crossed boundaries, inappropriate language, frustrations, and even our own behaviors.
Often we tolerate behaviors, language, reactions, criticisms, conditions and environments that affect the quality of our life, that if we acknowledged them, evaluated them for what they are, and addressed them with the parties involved (ourselves included!), we could change the outcomes and results associated with these interactions.
So…who is in your neighborhood and WHAT behaviors are you tolerating, that if compassionately addressed, could improve your interactions and exchanges? Consider some of the following:
Coworkers that may not be your #1 fan (vice versa)
A Company Culture that may not jive with your value system
Compensation (current and possibly future)
Managers/Leaders who work for you (vice versa)
Work Environment and Physical Space needing attention
Friendships that may no longer serve you
Social Media that isn’t positive and fulfilling
Relatives with whom you may need to alter your relationship
Spouse/Partner you need to reconnect with
Children you’d like a different type of connection with
A great benefit to completing this inventory is that once you see these behaviors and individuals for what and who they are, you can begin naturally handling, eliminating, altering, and creatively resolving how you will more effectively respond when faced with encounters you no longer wish to tolerate.
After identifying what you will no longer tolerate, you give yourself permission to invite more positive interactions and exchanges into your work and home life.
You may even begin to notice that those in your neighborhood, you previously wanted to evict, you now invite over for a BBQ. Or maybe not.
Cherish the folks you want living in your neighborhood and be sure to tell them.
Contact us speaking engagements or to facilitate workshops with your team. SBJ Consulting, Inc. is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® .
Learn more about Stacy and connect with her on LinkedIn.
Stacy Berg Jackson, CPC, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, M.Ed, founder and CEO of SBJ Consulting, Inc., is a certified leadership and executive coach. Stacy creates a safe space and sounding board for leaders so they can process through their decisions, find a path forward and become more productive on the most productive things. She works with organizations and professionals to help reinforce their effectiveness, increase their presence and influence, and maximize the balance in their personal and professional successes. As an executive coach with personal experience navigating unexpected life transitions, Stacy has a keen understanding of the unique complexities these transitions offer leaders, as they continue to focus on work and leadership presence. Leaders who must lead through challenging life transitions benefit exponentially from working with Stacy.
Share your comments below. Please read our commenting guidelines before posting. If you have a concern about a comment, report it here.
