DAY 263 -- Passive Way of Managing

I have a boss who struggles over many things.  He is very compassionate and passive.  He doesn't want to get involved with his employees.  He thinks that every employee should leave employment at his business a better person.  He wants to help everyone improve.

I have been working with him for six months.  In that time, he has stated many times his feelings expressed above.  I told him I can see his desire to serve others, uplift employees, help them become better, but the thing that frustrates me is there are so many who take advantage of his "laid back" attitude.  I continually tell him that there are people who come when they want.  There are those who do not give him the honest 8 hours or however many they are paid.  I express frustration to him and try to explain that when it comes to business, you have to run a tight ship and make sure that they are not taking advantage of you.

I have been questioning myself in this attitude.  For he says that I am very "hard" in my evaluate of those employees.  When I say that they are "stealing" from him by wasting away their days and not working for the time they are paid, he says that they are doing things that will generate "good" in the future.

On Monday, he came into the office very depressed.  He didn't want to talk with anyone.  Finally, I had a few minutes with him and he finally decided that he was fed up with his employees.  One quarter of them were immature, and were taking advantage of him.  He thought about firing the whole lot and starting over.

I can see his desire to help employees learn lessons and leave better than they came, but in the mean time, they are hurting his business.  He has struggled for the last few years making payroll, and I can see why.

There are two concepts.  Perhaps I am too hard and critical. Perhaps I am the one who is a good saint during the week, but look at business differently, as I have seen so many do.  Perhaps he is the one who is on the right track, treating everyone passively and compassionately.  I can see his rationale, but I also see that so many are taking advantage and hurting his business.

Guess there is always two ways to view what is happening at work.  I guess the next week or so will show, through his actions, what is going to win out.  People are different, is one way wrong, and one right? Or what?

I am quietly observing his actions, his attitude toward us and every employee.  It will be interesting to see what happens in his attitude as well as his business.