And Donuts

Something else that I learned by being a parent is that kids prefer to not be yelled at, to be fed, to be clothed, to be entertained, and to be loved. It’s not rocket science, yet it’s hard to do at times. You get so caught up in “you” that you forget about them.

The same exact thing holds true for people at work, particularly if you’re in a leadership role, formal or informal. And you run the same risk of allowing all your “stuff” to get in the way of being there for your co-workers. If you’re a leader, you’ll find that the formula for success is pretty much the same as the formula for success as a parent. Instead of all the not-yelling, the feeding, the clothing, the entertaining, and the loving, the people you work with want to have meaningful work, want to be respected, and want to pretty much be allowed to live a fulfilling life without threat of losing their livelihood. That’s pretty much the environment you should aim to provide. Again, not rocket science.

Personally, I think the not-yelling, the feeding, the clothing, the entertaining, and the loving also works wonders with your co-workers. None of them will admit to it, of course, but bringing donuts to work with some coffee and milk is a good way to get people to chill out, laugh together, and pretty much be entertained. It goes a long way towards making their work a little more palatable, and it just might help them find some fulfillment at work.

My kids and my co-workers: human beings looking to live their lives, getting a little help from me along the way. And donuts.