It is interesting to me how much controversy comes from the Super Bowl each year. When I was younger, I never noticed it. I was focused on who was performing at halftime and who was singing the National Anthem. But now I’m older and on social media, so it can’t be avoided.
The backlash from the ‘He Gets Us’ campaign, specifically the ad that ran during the Super Bowl, is astounding to me. Yes, Super Bowl ads are expensive. Yes, the money spent on that campaign was probably significant and may have been put to use elsewhere. But those of us who are Christians and who are Believers…we know that God works in mysterious ways. Seeing that ad at that moment may have been the thing that someone in the world needed to find peace and salvation. Even if one person became curious and began exploring the love of Jesus because of that ad, it was well worth it. I will not know the purpose of that while living this life on Earth, but I believe in God’s power to change people’s lives. That is faith.
Something else I have seen on social media is the public shaming of people who pay for others’ drinks while in line at Starbucks. A recent post stated, ‘People who go to Starbucks can afford their drink, so instead of paying for them put your money to better use elsewhere.’ Whomever penned this is making a lot of assumptions – how do you know what everyone in line at Starbucks can afford? Is it any of your business? They may be having a terrible day and that latte may be the best thing that happens to them today. And maybe I want to be a part of helping just one person to have a great day. Are we seriously going to start judging good deeds?
Why all the judgement???
As humans (and for HR practitioners) it is so easy to judge the lives and choices of others. We can find fault in nearly everything. I should know – I come from a long line of self-appointed judges of others. In recent years, I have seen the error of my ways.
In HR, we see and hear a lot of things from employees. I once had a manager call to confirm the amount of his bonus check because he was booking a trip to Vegas. As someone who just doesn’t understand the appeal of gambling, I judged him. I thought about what a waste of money that trip would be and how he could do better for himself and others with that bonus. I assumed he was in debt and that he would just end up in trouble in Vegas. I discussed the situation with my team, so the judging continued to others. I allowed the situation to affect how I viewed this person. Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth about judgement – at the end, there is one judge, God the Almighty. God judges me on my behavior alone. If I give money to a homeless person and that person uses the money for alcohol or drugs, that is on them and not me. I will be judged on the act I took to give the money (or not). None of us has any control over others. I think this may be the most difficult lesson for people to grasp in their entire lives.
HR professionals struggle with wanting to control and judge employees. It makes sense – if only the employees would behave the way we want them to! We experience the shenanigans of people up front and personal every day. And it’s draining – burnout in HR has been a hot topic in recent times. I urge my peers to take a deep breath and take a step back – let’s focus on why we got into HR to begin with and how we can make work the best it can be for all employees. The ‘bad behavior’ is just noise.
I vow to work on encouraging employees, training managers, giving grace, and focusing on what is truly important. Will you join me?
I’m going to drop this link here just in case someone needs it:
Living in the Gray 