A Pat On the Back or A Kick in the A**...

I once heard my Fire Chief address a class of new recruits and he told them something that has stuck with me. He told them, "Boys, whether I give you a pat on the back or a kick in the a**, it comes from the same place; my heart."

That concept seems to be lost to many. In a day where Political Correctness would be more appropriately called Political Pandering, it seems like the ability correct a person in any other manner then in a stoic, "Spok" like demeanor, is veiwed as out of line. Now before you misunderstand my point, I'm not advocating being abusive. I'm talking about very straight forward, honest critisism when an employee screws up.

A couple of weeks ago I got to hear Ch. Lasky recall a time when a Chief "chewed his butt" one week and the very next week, the same Chief called Lasky back into his office and "chewed him out again." Lasky recalls the experience as a life changing event for the good.

I wonder if some of our marginal employees or mutts would have ended up as a mutt if they would have had someone care enough to rip them a new one when the bad behavior first started and began to become that person's M.O.?

I am also curious to hear from any of you about a time when you can recall that a good ole' fashion "Come to Jesus" meeting had the desired effect?

Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but I know of some times when I got set straight that probably saved my career. But what say you?