Written by: Jennifer Coners, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I have heard many stories throughout my 20 plus years in Business Development & Recruitment, however, this story I am about to share really hit me on every level both professionally and personally since I am also a business owner. It was shared to me like this.
Imagine you are sitting in your office one day feeling so proud & energized for the company you built, and then an email comes in. This email from a stranger says that you must close your doors immediately, send your employees home, and we will keep you posted on next steps. A couple of years go by, and you do not know who to believe, you are told your thinking is wrong, you have no outlet, meanwhile the healthy bottom line you had, is spiraling fast in the wrong direction.
Then, another email comes through saying you can open your doors again but, you have to do it this way now. You go back in, with a little more hope but still feeling so lost because your gut is telling you one thing, but you’re at the mercy of another. You are responsible for not only yourself but all your employees, their families and the list goes on. It's draining.
Then, voilà! Another email comes through saying business as usually.
As a business owner it was a great day to hear the nightmare forced upon them was over, but now they have another hurdle, how do we get back that healthy bottom line. So the thought, let’s just go back to how it was, but, you can’t because so much time has passed and the people who you sent home, they are not the same anymore.
This is why employers and employees are struggling to come together. Employees have given up on corporate America, or they have demands that just can’t be met. Meanwhile, employers just want to get some “control” back, and it's taken as micromanagement now. Social Media has made Corporate America look awful and now everyone is a “coach”, “influencer”, “entrepreneur” and that list goes on.
So, I ask you, the reader, whichever side of this story you are, the employer or the employee, I am asking that you give some grace. We are still trying to figure out what a new “normal” is. But, has “normal” ever been a real thing?
In order to work together we must first learn to listen together. We must learn to take your feeling and emotions out of the conversation so we can get to the facts. Then, in the facts, there is a resolution. A resolution that will make everyone happy.
I am a proud business owner, but I owe that to the lessons I learned from Corporate America. I will continue to be an advocate for both sides and help bridge that gap so we can all lay our heads down at night with peace.
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Jennifer Coners, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jennifer Coners, a leader in her field of Business Development & Recruitment. She has shown what hard work can do despite not having a college degree. She is passionate about helping her clients achieve their goals in life and business. With over 20 years experience in professional recruitment and consulting she now owns Jen Coners Consulting, LLC where she provides the direction and leadership to drive success through innovation, creativity and determined, targeted recruiting. Her broad-based expertise in relationship-building, training and account management talents sets her apart from her peers as well as outperforms them.
