Now we live in a time when people have remarkably thin skins and judge others way too harshly. They act like they’re special, like children do. Like they could never be on the other side of the equation. And instead of just thinking about Karma and retribution, they act on it. How do they act? They threaten, boycott, demand people be fired, and sue. And you know what? That’s just the sort of thing that children would do if they could.
Child throwing a temper tantrum
Ever had a workplace nemesis, someone who stabbed you in the back, took advantage of you, or wronged you in some way? You’d feel great if he got canned, wouldn’t you? And, in the back of your mind, you’d feel just a little bit guilty about that, right? You’d wonder if that makes you a bad person.
Well, it doesn’t. It just means you’re human.
We all have situations like that. And while it’s probably not worth getting angry about and any good shrink would tell you it’s a bit childish to seek retribution, as long as you’re not acting out or acting on it, you’re probably in good standing with reasonable adult behavior.
But here’s the problem. These days, people are acting on those childish feelings more and more. They’re threatening, demanding, boycotting and suing. That would be fine if business leaders and executives stood up to them and told them to act like adults. But they’re not. Instead, they’re coddling them, kowtowing to them.
It’s called political correctness. Somehow, it’s become accepted in the workplace and in society. And that’s not a good thing. Not one bit. I’ll explain why with a little story.
An associate once connected me to a company interested in my management consulting services. I met with a VP and wrote a proposal for a custom strategic planning process. He asked for more detail so he could sell it to the rest of the management team. So I provided that. And I never heard from him again. He didn’t even respond to emails.
When the VP later got fired, I admit, it felt good. You know, what goes around comes around. You’ve got to love Karma. Except here’s the thing. I’m sure that guy had reasons for doing what he did. In all likelihood, he doesn’t think of himself as a bad person.
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