Inspiring Workplaces: What Does It Really Mean to be Loyal at Work?

Published: Wed, 08/23/23

Inspiring Workplaces

ISSUE 986 - Aug. 23, 2023


		What Does It Really Mean to Be Loyal at Work?

	I had a beautiful dog named Eeyore years ago. Half black lab, half Mountain Bernese, half stubborn (there's a reason he was named Eeyore). Eeyore was the most loyal dog you could imagine, in fact, both those breeds are known for their intense loyalty. Loyalty is a trait we greatly admire in dogs, friends, and partners, but what does it truly mean to be loyal to an organization? Defining what it means to be loyal to your company or team and especially defining what it doesn't mean is an important conversation to have at work. Too often we confuse loyalty with blind agreement. We are often told by leaders that to disagree with a decision is to be disloyal to the company. Now I'm not suggesting that it's remotely okay to publicly dump on your company whenever you don't agree with a decision, or to endlessly whine about a decision after it's been made. However, if you are going to create a culture where everyone's voices are valued in the hopes of getting to the best possible answer, everyone needs to understand that you are not being disloyal when you speak up, offer a different opinion, or challenge an assumption. Imagine a scenario where a decision is being made that appears to go against one of your core values or one that you know will damage your relationship with your customers. In those scenarios, isn't speaking up the most loyal thing you can do? So have an open and honest conversation about what it means to be loyal. Are you loyal to your boss, your team, the values of your company, your customers, or to your community? The upshot of having these conversations is, by doing so, you'll actually foster more loyalty from your employees.

		Mike's Fun at Work Tip

Today is Find Your Inner Nerd Day! (My inner nerd is more on the outside. Yup, I'm more of an outer nerd.) So, here's a meeting icebreaker to try out at some point to help you celebrate the inner nerd in all of us: Ask everyone to share one trait, passion, or hobby that might earn them some official nerd cred.
		Quote of the Week
“If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values: they’re hobbies.” Jon Stewart

		Funny Business

Another great example of how one business trains their customers to be more polite: WELCOME TO CUPS! "ONE SMALL COFFEE" $5.00 "ONE SMALL COFFEE, PLEASE $3.00 "HELLO, I'D LIKE ONE SMALL COFFEE, PLEASE" $1.75

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