The teenage boy shouts at his Mother that he is old enough to stay out past 11:00pm with his friends. His Mother shouts back to the boy that he must obey because nothing “good” happens after 11pm at night.
· The old veteran sternly tells the young man that he must stand in quiet reverence when the flag is raised or lowered. The young man yells back at the older veteran that he cannot tell him what to do.
· The elderly Father complains to his daughter that she should listen to his story so she can learn from it. His daughter states that times have changed and she will live her life as she wants and doesn’t need any interference.
· The Boss commands her employee to do as she is told because “she knows best.” The employee complains that her boss will not listen to her ideas.
Do these things sound familiar? In each of these situations what are the individuals demanding? Do these interactions have something in common? They are all requests or demands for “Respect” from the other person.
Respect is admiration or esteem for another person due to their abilities, qualities, position, or achievements. The verb, to respect, denotes that someone admires another or holds them in high esteem. Respect occurs when there is honor between individuals. Honor occurs when people seek to understand each other.
The Mother wants respect and obedience from her son because she has seen the problems that arise for teenagers at night. Her concern arises from her desire for the safety of her son. The Son wants respect from his Mother because he feels he is responsible enough to avoid bad situations.
The military veteran demands respect for the himself and the symbol of the country that he helped to protect. The young man is demanding respect for his right to think and act as he wants due to his status as a citizen.
The Father yearns to be respected for his experiences so he shares his story so she will not have to learn by making the same mistakes. The daughter wants her Father to respect her and understand that there are new methods and opportunities that were unavailable to him.
The Boss demands respect and obedience for her success and experience. The employee requires respect in that there may be a different or better way forward.
In each situation the temperature can be lowered and respect achieved for each other if all parties seek to understand the other. UNDERSTANDING creates HONOR. HONOR leads to respect. And that is today’s Morning Minute.
Larry Bonorato is the author of WORK WITH ME NOT FOR ME which is available on AMAZON.
Visit our website at LarryonLearning.com for more inspiration and stories.
It was decision time for the Manager.
It started 9 months ago. John, the owner, had tasked the Manager with developing a restaurant plan. The company already owned the property for the restaurant. The plan included developing both the menu and the processes. Plus, determining who would be their target diners. It also included making a mechanical drawing of the layout for the facility which would be built from scratch. He would hire an architect to insure both code compliance and to get a detailed building plan.
The dining room was set up to handle 120 diners. The kitchen was more challenging in that it wrapped around a huge smoker where pork butts, chicken, and ribs would slowly cook until the succulent meat would be ready for the serving line. Having numerous recipes would require specialized cooking equipment and prep areas.
The Manager was to oversee construction, author the menu and recipes, as well as keep the project on track and on budget. Processes needed to be written to ensure quality control and customer satisfaction. Nearing completion, he would recruit and train both kitchen and dining room staff. The day prior to opening the team checked all the equipment and ran practice sessions to ensure a smooth start.
At 5:00am on opening day, some gas equipment would not ignite. After some quick intervention by the Manager, it ignited properly. The day went smoothly after that. As issues arose over the next few days they were handled. Both the diners and the staff were happy.
At 10:00am on the 5th day the Manager received a call from John, the owner. John was changing his method of being paid. He would still get the same salary however 50% of his pay he was to take from the cash register and under report sales by that same amount. The rest would be taxed and reported as income.
Hanging up the phone, he knew he had to make a serious decision. He had moved his family 300 miles to take on this challenge. They had 2 small children, lots of debt, and his was the only income. Plus, the economy was in a serious recession.
This choice would determine the Manager’s life for the next several years. Sacrifice his integrity and make this project a winner securing a good income for his family. Or keep his integrity and his good name intact by resigning in protest. The Manager made his decision.
What decision would you make? A good job making good money with a chance for future ownership? Or, keeping your integrity and your good name intact and starting over again?
Email me your answer: “STAY” or “RESIGN”, to lab@larryonlearning.com.
If you are receiving this question via social media, please vote via private message.
Please repost or share this message so that we will have the greatest possible number of people polled.
P.S. Only I will know your answer…your vote will be kept in strict confidence and will never be revealed unless you do so. So please, be honest, so we will have accurate results for this poll. Have a productive day and cast your vote now!
Larry Bonorato is the author of WORK WITH ME NOT FOR ME which is available on AMAZON.
Today we are going off script to celebrate Labor Day and acknowledge the hard work and contributions of our American workers. They are our neighbors, friends, and family members. Through their efforts you have more choices for goods and services than anywhere else on the planet.
You have food available because of the laborers on farms, in packing houses, and ranches. They grow and harvest crops, raise animals, and tend orchards. They pack these items and ship them to warehouses, farmer’s markets, and grocery stores. The clerks, butchers, stockers, and cashiers in grocery stores work to ensure you have both variety and quality for your family.
You have more choices for vehicles because of the toil of factory and foundry workers. We applaud those who produce the steel, rubber, glass and plastic for these vehicles and those who build them. All motorized vehicles require skilled mechanics, painters, and others so you can buy and maintain the vehicles that best suit your needs.
You are served by laborers in the building trades such as welders, carpenters, plumbers, steel workers, painters, masons, and pipefitters. Trades people in manufacturing produce the multitude of products that you have available to make your life better.
You have technologies that our parents and grandparents never even dreamed of. These devices come to you by virtue of the labor of millions working in mines, factories, and laboratories. Our health care workers care for us in our time of need in clinics, hospitals, doctors’ offices, and pharmacies.
You have municipal workers supporting public works, parks and recreation, licensing, and public health. We have first responders including police, firefighters, and paramedics. Teachers, bus drivers, and school workers help train future laborers.
You have power for your computers and appliances available to you through the efforts of miners, power plant workers, plus oil and gas workers. These tradespeople provide the power for airplanes, trains, factories, homes, and motor vehicles. We have thousands of truck drivers and railroad workers who bring us all manner of products and materials. And we salute the folks who staff the offices in support of tradespeople in all industries.
We pause now to acknowledge our outstanding military personnel. Their commitment to your freedom coupled with their supreme efforts, separation from family and friends, and continuous training keep us strong and constantly remind us the freedom is not free.
Labor Day is a national holiday to honor these and millions of others who are the backbone of America. Through the labor of these workers and many others we have created a society where hard work and accountability are rewarded and appreciated. Thank you to you all.
Happy Labor Day!!
Larry Bonorato is author of WORK WITH ME NOT FOR ME which is available in print audio, and eBook on Amazon.
Enjoy his website LarryonLearning.com for more inspiration and stories.
(No Morning Minute Monday, 9/5/22 due to the holiday)
