There is nothing like children to give you a different perspective on many subjects. If you have children, I’m sure you have experienced this. If you don’t have children, I’m sure there have been times when you’ve heard a child say something that gave you a totally different outlook. A child’s perception is often entertaining. There are other times when a child’s perception can be a whole new learning experience for adults. That is the case here which gave me the inspiration for this article.
My middle child, number three of five, is a daughter. When she was about five or six years old, she would have toast for breakfast. She loved toast in the morning before going to school. However, she didn’t like the crust around the edge of the bread and she would always say to me, "Daddy, I don’t like the bones". She called the crust "bones". So I would take the toast and remove the crust for her.
This memory has stuck with me through the years and often, when I’m eating toast, I think of her, hence, this article. You see, I believe that we, as individuals and as leaders apply this saying in lots of situations! Sometimes, I believe we don’t even realize what we’re doing.
See people as they are
Too many times, we look at a person and immediately draw conclusions. We see them as white, black, Chinese, Latino, or we see them as gay, poor, rich, old, or different. Let me tell you, when you strip away the "bones", the crust, the outer appearance, inside is a human being! Inside is a human being that wants all the things from life that anyone else does. Inside is a person that has a father and a mother just like everyone else.
It’s what’s inside that counts
I know you’ve heard this plenty of times, but do you really live it? Yes, we all are a product of how we were raised and the environment we lived in while growing up. That’s what makes each of us so wonderful. As a manager of a business, what are your first thoughts when an applicant comes in asking for a job? If the person has tattoos or piercings, what are you thinking? Now, I know that each business has certain criteria and standards that must be in place to fit the image of the business. However, there are situations where I think that business owners and managers take this too far. I think we try to dictate how a person should live. When we do that, we are taking away freedom. Making everyone conform to the way you live would make you a dictator. No one wants to work for a dictator!
Be a Leader!
Yes, by all means, set the standards. All great leaders set standards. However, a great leader also creates a work environment that adapts to people with different traits. I once hired a blind person to work in a restaurant. Now what in the world can a blind person do in a restaurant? Well, we figured out a job that fit the person and she was so happy. She felt that she was a contributor to society – and she was! Her job was important to the success of that business. She was able to do her part to bring income to the family. Be a leader and make sure that your business is giving back to the community. A business is not a one way street that only receives from the community. Create a business in which any person would feel welcome – client or employee.
Take away the bones
Most people like the crust on toast, the "bones". Inside the "bones" though, is the good part. Take away the bones, and you’ve got the real reason for eating toast. So it is with people. Take away the bones and you’ve got the real person. WOW! - the perception of a child.
