Whether or not you consider yourself a “believer” in Valentine’s Day, the fallout from the holiday is hitting you about now.(As a side note, I heard more people declare that they do not believe in Valentine’s Day this year than I ever remember hearing in past years. How can you not believe in a holiday that promotes love, but you can believe in Santa delivering gifts, the tooth fairy giving money, and Snookie offering up a comparison against which we all feel better about ourselves?)
Your planning, or lack thereof, has landed you in one of two categories. You are either a great (for the planners), or a less-than-great (for the non-planners) boyfriend / husband / partner / friend / son / daughter.
Whether or not we want to admit it, a great deal of significance is placed on one day. One day.
If you planned ahead and sent the card, made the phone call, and/or bought the flowers, you can refer to this display of thoughtfulness throughout the year. It is a crisp $100 dollar bill deposited into the bank of good will, able to be withdrawn at any point.
If you did not think it was a big deal, if the card still sits on your night stand, or if you forgot the holiday altogether, it is tough to bounce back from the oversight.
The same type of pressure seems to be placed on employees these days. Organizations want people to prove themselves quickly and to showcase their ability to deposit money into the bank, on behalf of the organization, at an even greater speed.
This need for immediate results makes sense. Times are tough and only the strong survive.
However, if you were to base your choice of a husband, boyfriend, or partner, your choice of a best friend, or, for those parents out there, your choice of a favorite child on the actions of one day, it seems likely that a poor decision could result.
Yes, each day is important, but it is a combination of days that creates a lasting impact. It is weeks and months of sustained effort that leads to success.
The flowers die and the cards gets tossed. You certainly do not want to be left, twiddling your thumbs, waiting around until the next Valentine’s Day for something great.
Similarly, organizations need to find the time, the patience, and the energy to look beyond one day or one week in order to consider people's long term value. Yes, making a sale, creating a paper, or giving a memorable presentation shortly after joining an organization is great.
However, there are 364 other days that both organizations and individuals need to consider when determining whether a person can be a valuable addition to a company or a life.
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My boyfriend is of the mindset that it's better to do nice things for each other throughout the year than try to celebrate a silly holiday. Maybe that was his way of getting out of getting anything for me! :P
ReplyDeleteBut I see what you mean. You can't base your opinion of someone on a single event/decision. I mean, I suppose you can, but you shouldn't. If I show up late to work a few times, that doesn't mean I'm a bad employee. By the same token, if I've achieved something amazing, I wouldn't want too much pressure to always produce at that high a level.