Criticism...Do You Put Their "F's" On The Refrigerator?

One of the most common methods people use to motivate themselves to accomplish something good is to place a symbol of their dream on their refrigerator with a magnet.  If they want to lose some weight, they might place their target number on the face of their refrigerator to remind them to stay on task.  They might cut out a dress size or a bathing suit and use a magnet to attach it to their refrigerator.  If someone wanted to get a new fishing boat they might place a picture of the one they want to buy on the face of their refrigerator.  Maybe a new house, a new car or some camping equipment might hit the magnets on the refrigerator.  People use the refrigerator as a bulletin board to remind them of loved ones, friends or some lofty goals to achieve.  The refrigerator has become one of the common places people use as a bulletin board.

I have some pictures of my kids and their beau's on my refrigerator, right now.  My wife has a picture of me on it.  She uses flower magnets to place all of these pictures on our kitchen bulletin board.  We have had financial goals, life goals and hundreds of people reminders placed on our refrigerator over the years.  Our home is arranged nicely.  It looks a lot like an interior design studio display.  However, our refrigerator is the exception.  It has a menagerie of stuff placed all over it.  It is our family life center.  It has become our goal report center.  It has become our favorite place to remind us of our best friends, family good times and things we would like to do.  If we plan to go to another country on a vacation, we will likely place some pictures of that future trip on our refrigerator.  It will help us remember our goals to go there.  Our bulletin board helps us to plan better.  It is also used to help us to remember the good things we have experienced.

At one point in our life my wife and I spent a lot of time working with people that were trying to improve their home and life finances.  We visited a lot of homes during those years.  We noticed a lot of people in the world use their refrigerator in the same fashion as we did, like a bulletin board.  Wealthy homes, economically strapped ones and middle class homes...all used the face of the refrigerator in this way.  It is apparently an unwritten rule.  It has become one of those silent things many people do that is common to life.  In fact, you can find display set-ups in many grocery stores that sell refrigerator magnets.  They come in fancy packages.  My wife has a box in one kitchen drawer filled with different styles and fashions of magnets she has purchased over the years.  Right now she is using some really bright flowers to hold our current stuff on the face of our refrigerator.  Next year they might likely be Gummy Bear magnets!

In all of this common pattern of refrigerator postings we have witnessed in our whole life, not once have I ever seen someone place one of their children's "F's" from a report card on the refrigerator.  Not once.  Not once have I ever seen any picture of a house burnt to the ground.  Not once have I ever seen a picture of a wrecked car.  Not once have I ever seen a picture of an employee's employment release pink slip.  Not once have I ever seen a picture of a welfare check.  Not once have I ever seen a divorce document.  People do not appreciate these kinds of events and occurrences enough to parade them around for everyone to see.  They do not place their "F's" on the face of their refrigerators.

Instead...they place their best dreams, their best goals, their best friends and their best family memories on that face.  People use bulletin boards to help motivate them forward.  They do not use bulletin boards to bring themselves down.  The "F's" are not on parade.  Since that is the truth, I wonder why so many business leaders work on placing their employees "F's" out into the open?  Why do so many business leaders think it is a good idea to place their employee's "F's" on the company refrigerator?  What gives with that effort?  Think about this if you are one of those business leaders.  If you criticize your employees in an open fashion you are actually placing their "F's" on the company refrigerator.  Why are you doing that?  Nobody likes that kind of treatment.  Nobody respects that kind of pattern.  You yourself do not appreciate this kind of treatment when it happens to you.  So why place their "F's" on the face of the company refrigerator?  Why?  What purpose does it serve?  Think about this kind of stuff if you are a business leader.

I was standing in a business model a few days ago and a store manager walked up to one of the employees.  Out loud enough for those standing nearby to hear, that manager asked that employee to come follow so that manager could show her what she did wrong.  She turned and followed.  That manager continued to describe the mistake out loud as they walked toward where the error was made.  The employee followed diligently.  An "F" was placed on the face of that refrigerator.  It was placed out in front for everyone to see.  Why?

There are many reasons why a business manager will act in this way.  It would take several pages to describe them all in worthwhile detail.  However, this example was a real experience that should be shared with other business leaders.  These actions of failed leadership practiced by this manager are not the best way to approach your staff to attempt to build a strong and productive team of employees.  This manager may not know it, but the "F" landed on the manager's report card with this move.  As the two of them walked away to see the error, I turned to see how the other two employees standing nearby reacted to the experience they just witnessed.  One rolled the eyes at the other with disapproval.  It was very clear that neither of the other two employees enjoyed seeing what they witnessed.  That particular manager has lost leadership and does not know it yet.  That "F" on that managers report card just became underlined by the other two employees that witnessed this move of 'power.'  I may not know a whole lot about this place of business but I can see when productivity is doomed to become compromised.  The performance of that business is likely already producing its own lower grade marks.  If it is not happening yet, it is aimed that way.  Trust me.  That much I do know.


Remove the process that places the "F's" on the face of the company refrigerator.  Show more respect.  Become a leader of values.  Do not string up a list of wrongs to be paraded around the block for everyone to see.  Get serious about learning how to lead in a more positive way.  I know it is hard work.  However, the results will be better measured, better produced and more satisfying to live with when the efforts meet the production road.  Stay aware of how easily an "F" can be highlighted.  We sometimes do it unconsciously.  Conscious or not, the damage is the same.  Productive teams do not live long in a successful pattern of results when their treatment is filled with disrespectful leadership flaws.  Get far away from flaunting the "F's" that are produced by your staff.  Erase them from the company bulletin boards.  They are doing some very serious damage to the overall spirit of productivity.  Perennial winners do not make these kinds of simple mistakes.  Needless to say, I was surprised at that managers approach to correct a wrong.


I am one of those business travelers who notices these strange anomalies.  I might become consumed about something as simple as this manager/employee experience I witnessed.  I was completely surprised at the out loud burst of this manager to flaunt an "F" in the face of others of how this employee recently performed.  Afterwards, I decided to dig in and find out how well this business model was performing.  I found a way to meet with the owners of this establishment.  We shared in common experience some conversations about life and the world of business.  In that conversation I was able to discern how they were watching the performance of this particular unit in their ownership package.  Without me sharing why I was interested in knowing more about the performance of this particular unit, I learned how they have given this manager one year to turn the profit of that business model around.  It was not headed in the right direction.  They made that very clear in our conversations.  I am sort of a stranger to them but they had no problem sharing their "F's" with me!  At least in this particular organization, they are consistent.  They all believe it is O.K. to place your "F's" on the wall of the company refrigerator!  Interesting.


When I left that conversation I asked them how long has it been since that particular business model produced a friendly profit?  Here was their answer, "Eleven years ago."  I kept my card face on and immediately asked them how many managers have produced that string of losses?  Here was their next answer, "Four of them."  As is right, I kept my card face attached firmly.  My silent subconscious mind was saying, "Maybe you all should consider looking into a mirror once in awhile."  People...remove the "F's."  Quit posting the "F's" onto the wall of the company refrigerator.  Learn how to show more respect.  There is no way any respect will ever be returned when it is not ever delivered properly.


Watch how you process criticism.  Watch how you manage it.  Learn the art of leading people properly.  Make sure you are not placing their "F's" onto the side wall of the company refrigerator.  The damage that this kind of leadership produces will eventually appear on the bottom line of the financial reports.  Trust me, the effect is the same as stabbing your own legs just before a foot race is held.  Good luck with that one.


If leadership needs some repair and your model is suffering to find its way to a more profitable end, start working on where the "F's" are showing up.  Get a better grip on how you criticize the people you employ.  Do not send these same people to the tough trenches of business war knowing that their "F's" will somehow eventually appear on the face of the company refrigerator in the back room.  Get serious.  That is now way to build a strong team.  Remove the "F's."  Study how you manage criticisms.  It is an art that requires some practice strokes.  Get very good at managing the criticisms your model discovers.  Try hard to imagine how the signs appear on the refrigerators you use.  Learn how to better govern what you slap onto them.


Until next time...