Professionalism: Don’t Take It Personal and Don’t Make It Personal
One of the hardest lessons I have had to learn while working as a child care center director; is not to take it personal. I am truly astounded at times, by the words that come out of peoples mouths. It took me over 5 months to realize that some people just do not care. They do not care what they say or how they behave or how they treat others. Many times when I have dealt with an angry parent or staff member I had to first realize that they are usually venting frustrations brought on by circumstances outside of the daycare such as work or home life or finances. That means that what is coming out of their mouths at me is not always because of me. I say “not always” because I am human and I make mistakes just like everybody else. So the best policy I have found is if I am wrong, then it is best to admit my shortcomings and then do my best to make it right. However if the situation is not a result of me, my action or inaction then I have to make an effort to not take it personal. The other side of that is not only do I need to not take it personal, but I must make sure that my decisions are not made on simply my opinions of individuals. I have to get all the facts and make sure I step back and look at the situation from the other person’s perspective. By doing that I am helping to ensure that the decisions I make are not made based only on my personal opinions but on the facts also.
