In our day to day we do not realize who we come across with, who we greet, smile or talk to. Each person we meet are receptors of our vibration, emotions and especially of something as powerful as our WORD.

OUR WORD, something that has already been lost. Now everything must be by contract because nothing is worth more than a paper. Well says the saying “paper talks.”

On Sunday February 9th I was sitting in my Castaways office (in front of Peñasco del Sol Hotel) organizing the work for next week when Teresa R. (Cleaning Supervisor) asked permission to speak with me. I immediately said yes; When I started to manage this company on October the 1st, I told all employees that my door is always open to talk to them.

Teresa sat next to me and explained her situation (which situation?), My first thoughts was that she wanted to tell me that she had found another job, some sick family member or surely a salary increase, we always think any of these issues when we are behind the desk. To my surprise it was none of the above. With this NEW CASTAWAYS we are within a very large “organizational change”.

This change demands speed and efficiency, everyone in the company knows it and as I have told them “the company is like a train, we are all on board and we all have to go at the same pace”. At the moment 9 people have gone down and one had to be invited to get off because she would not let the train leave the station. So far those who are traveling have committed to work together so that the train reaches its destinations satisfactorily.

Returning to Teresa; To my surprise, she explained that she was having problems with her tablet since she didn’t know how to upload some photographs and reports to a new system that we are implementing for a better service to our owners and internal operational control. She explained to me that the person who was in charge before “made her feel very bad”, because one day she told her that she was very clumsy with the tablet and technology, to which she tells me “Javier nobody ever explained to me that time, I tried to learn alone, I asked her for help and she never gave it to me, and now I don’t want them to think that I don’t want to do it, all I want is to learn”.  At that moment two feelings took hold of me; one of joy and another of anger and indignation, I said Teresa, I want to thank you for your commitment to the company, for your interest in doing things right, for asking me who can help you, “on Monday at 11 am, you’ll have a person who will explain everything to you.”

If we get our employees to feel involved in a project, success for all is guaranteed.

On the other hand, I have feelings of anger and indignation; I wonder:

What or who do we think we are just because our work title states, Supervisor, Manager, Director?

Who gives us the right or power to “MAKE ANYONE FEEL BAD”, regardless of where we are?

The phrase “MADE ME FEEL BAD”, has been recorded on my mind during all these days and it makes me think, if this pattern is repeated in other companies. Where the employee feels vulnerable or not given the opportunity to advance. We must think that our economy and success on most occasions is based on human resources, our workers, and it is our duty as a company to take care of them, support them and guide them to be workers of commitment and quality.

If we have the opportunity to invest in them, we must not hesitate for a moment, since a successful company is not recognized for its profits or facilities, but for the quality of its work, where a happy employee is an employee who is more productive.

To finish, let’s listen to our employees, let’s be an example and not tyrants, let’s expose them to a realistic, growth project and as the saying goes “IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE A GOOD ENOUGH REASON, THEY WILL ALWAYS FIND THE ROAD”