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Showerthought: I used to think the angry customers were the problem for years.
Had a guy in a 5am session who was always grumpy, and I'd just push him harder thinking he needed it. One morning he just stopped and said, 'You know, my wife has cancer, this is the only hour I get to myself.' I've been treating symptoms, not people, for a decade. How do you even start to fix that kind of blind spot?
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blair5971mo ago
Watched a buddy of mine snap at a quiet kid in his shop class for not paying attention. Turns out the kid's dad had just been laid off and they were about to lose their house. My friend said that mistake, assuming laziness instead of asking what was wrong, changed how he saw every student after that.
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jake6381mo ago
Yeah, that "assuming laziness instead of asking" line from @blair597 hits hard. It's a good reminder that the kid staring out the window might be carrying something heavy. Makes you want to lead with a question.
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williamb2920d ago
Did you ever notice how the quietest kids in a room are usually the ones carrying the heaviest loads? I had a similar thing happen with a neighbor kid, @jake638 - I was coaching a little league team and this boy kept zoning out during practice. Another coach got all worked up about it, and it turned out the kid's mom was working double shifts and he was barely getting enough sleep. It's funny how we jump to the worst explanation first (laziness, attitude, whatever) instead of just, you know, asking a simple question. I've tried to slow down that impulse ever since, even though I still mess it up sometimes.
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