Do you want to be right OR do you want to be happy?

We all have heard the phrase, "do you want to be right or do you want to be happy". Mostly in relationship context. However, this phrase can apply to anything really especially at work. At any job you can be the best worker and usually if you are one of the "best" workers you are also that one that catches all the flaws in the system. However, who likes a person who ALWAYS points out your flaws? This could be the reason why you never get promoted. This could be the reason why the guy or girl that is not as good of a worker as you are got the promotion and you didn't. Managers tend to have a lot on their plate. Now, I'm not saying this is the RIGHT way of doing things but it is the way it is. So you can choose which path you want to go down.

Managers tend to like things running on autopilot. When they finally get to this stage they are happy, comfortable, and most importantly don't want to be bothered. Therefore, if you are the great worker that you are and you see and find flaws everywhere and feel the need to always be the one to bring them up to management or get into confrontations frequently with colleagues about not doing their job right and it gets back to the manager through the grapevine then guess what? YOU have now interrupted their happy, comfortable, and don't want to be bothered autopilot state. YOU have created more work that they frankly just don't care or want to deal with. So now even if you are always on time, never call in sick, always go above and beyond your job title you still will never move up. WHY? Because of management's preception of you. Why would a manager want to promote someone that points out all their flaws? Someone that will always create more work? Someone that always creates drama? Now, you could be RIGHT. But it doesn't matter! This is when you ask yourself, "do I want to be right or happy"? Clearly you want to be happy and you think but reporting with is RIGHT you will be happy but instead it backfires.

As a staff member you need to learn to to pick and choose your battles, especially if you want to climb the ladder. You want your manager to feel like you always have his/her back. That you will not cause drama. That you will keep their office, company, unit ect. running on autopilot just they way they like it. They really don't give a damn that Suzie came in 2 minutes late or that Johnny never does his sign out reports. JUST DEAL WITH IT.

Coming from someone that is pretty opinionated and see's flaws all the time where I work and in my profession I have learned how to "play the game". Why? Because I want to be an executive one day. And if I'm perceived as that one nurse that is ALWAYS complaining, always creating drama, and ultimately creating more work for my manager and ruining her utopia then I will never move up the ladder. Learn to deal with issues independently. If the issue is something that needs to be addressed approach your colleague on your own and deal with it in a professional manner. Realize that people have different personalities. You cannot and will not change peoples personalities. To be successful you need to be adaptable. LEARN TO ADAPT. You will be golden if you do.

It is just like a relationship. Who wants to date someone that always points out your flaws. That doesn't have your back. That always creates drama. That doesn't get along with people and can't adapt. That doesn't help you grow as person. Would you want to be with a person like that? Would you want them to be a part of your life? No! I certainly wouldn't. Neither would your manager. So the next time you come on shift and your colleague leaves you in shambles to start your shift. Take a deep breath. Calm down, and get your work done. Don't run to your manager or jump on the computer and shoot an pissed off email. Be an adult and handle it yourself. Usually once you let some time pass you are not so upset. You get time to think about it and realize it really wasn't THAT serious. IF it was THAT serious. Then the next day or the next time you see that colleague tell them, NICELY. You have A LOT more clarity when you are NOT in the heat of the moment. It's always better to "cool off" before trying to approach someone about something when you have had some time to think it over and "cool off".

Lastly, when you leave a job that has poor management and you really disliked it there. This is NOT the time to write a lengthy letter to the manager of the things you think they need to work on and just didn't want to say while you were an employee there. NEVER ruin your connections. Believe me your letter will not change ANYTHING except your relationship with that manager and anyone connected to her/him. You never know when you will need that person in the future. If you know you might have "rocked the boat" a few times during your employment say something to your colleagues and manager like, "Thank you for believing in me. This has been such a great opportunity I have learned and grown so much from all of you. Most importantly thank you for putting up with my mistakes I know I'm not perfect! But if I could come back with all the knowledge have today after working here I know I would be a better colleague to you all than I was when I started and I thank you guys for that....blah blah blah" this way you make everyone feel appreciated and you leave with people having good thoughts and FEELINGS of you. You have heard of the saying, "they may not remember what you said but they will never forget how you made them FEEL". This is what you want. You want to make your manager and your coworkers feel special. THAT is how you build lasting relationships. That is how you start to climb that ladder. So the next time you THINK you are being a "good" employee by reporting what is "right" REMEMBER, do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?

No system follows the rules to a T. It's almost pointless to always point out the flaws. Observe and stay silent. To get to the top you don't have to follow all the rules. You just have to have enough followers.

Until Next Time.

-Norah