The hardest part of my job.

Okay this is tied for the number one slot on the list of things I don’t like about being a manager. Teaching someone to be a team player when they have no concept of what a team is. Weird I know.

But this came to me when I was having a discussion with my dad about a friend. This friends husband was telling my dad that sports are wrong. That they teach kids to be jerks and that winning is the only thing that matters. Even more so he said it’s mainly kids forced to play and their egotistical, overbearing fathers coaching and on the sideline picking on the nonathletic kids.

My first response was well that figures. He is the type that you expect to be picked last in dodgeball. But it made me a little upset. First of all playing a sport does not teach winning is everything. Parents teach children that. Secondly, as a manager of people, trying to teach someone why they shouldn’t leave even though they are off because we are getting killed! Is so hard.

I played sports my whole life. For me and the way I was raised, I was taught you do for the team before yourself. Teaching people that the whole of the store, the customer experience is more important then them receiving a timely 10 minute break- makes steam come out of my ears.

I have a few people that I have had to instill some sense of team spirit. But when the going gets tough, they pretty much always look out for themselves. Even when I equate the team as a family it is still hard for them to “get it”.

Now I’m not breaking any laws, asking them to go above and beyond. I am jar asking for them to be a part of our team and put the team(including customers) first. Teaching why upselling and meeting goals is important. Why beating a neighboring store in transactions per half hour and having a competitive spirit is necessary in life.

And for this reason alone I think children at some point should be a part of a team. And that doesn’t mean a sports team. Chess, debate, math, all have teams that compete. Parents- children learn valuable life lessons and coping mechanisms when they become part of a group. Thank you.