Lately I’ve been noticing that I have been relating to one of my employees out of a mind of irritation and annoyance. My so-called reasons for doing so are seemingly justified by what I regard as his general incompetence and ineptitude but when I think about it, the entire problem seems to boil down to my own perceptions and expectations.
In essence, we have been having a rough time of it at work which is forcin.g us to look hrd at productivity. In good times the job he did was valuable enough and the season was profitable enough to overlook his failings. it is only now, when the chips are down that his weaknesses have become glaringly obvious. But| what about loyalty? What about appreciation? It seems so easy to forget how much such a person has done for you when you’re in the midst of a full blown panic. Sadly it’s easy to see how companies even slightly larger than ours routinely make such decisions without regard for past contributions.
Even now I can hear a nagging voice in my head reciting a line about past productivity being no guarantee of future performance and how companies are justified in getting rid of dead weight but in my heart I know this is this completely hypothetical. In our case I know this person, know they mean well and have seen their dedication but, in a larger company, I could see a bad business decision being made in the name of savings. Not to mention a complete absence of noble qualities of heart.
May I treat all of my employees with kindness, goodwill and warmth. May I never fail to appreciate them or think of them with gratitude. May I ever fight the hardening of the heart.
Cattāri Brahmavihārā 
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