Journal of Sacred Work

   Who decides whether our work is "successful?" We would like to say we are our own best judges. Yet, we are constantly yielding that power to others.

   "Performance" reviews raise the idea that we are on a stage awaiting applause, boos or indifference from those who wait in judgement beyond the white lights. The Academy Awards show, annual entertainment for an audience in the hundreds of millions, is one of the biggest stages we know.  How do actors ignore "judgment" from such a gigantic audience?  

   Organization-based caregivers face another kind of annual evaluation. Supervisors, often unprepared for such work, fill out forms evaluating subordinates. A whole year's work is summarized on short forms.

   It's an awkward and imprecise process. But, it determines everything from job-stability to pay raises. More critically, it may influence how caregivers think about themselves.

   If you believe you're doing a great job and your supervisor doesn't, what are you to do? I know one stellar caregiver whose supervisor is forever criticizing her for doing too good a job. "You spend too much time going beyond your job description to do hard work other people should be doing," her boss tells her." You are getting stressed and you need to ease up."

   Oddest of all, this same leader tells this caregiver, "you are making the other employees look bad with your extra efforts." To live Love, this caregiver has to ignore her boss. Recently, she was selected by senior management as the Employee of the Year. Patients and higher-ranking leadership see what the supervisor misses.

   In my experience, the most effective performance reviews highlight strengths to build on rather than criticism that may weaken the caregiver's ability to self-correct. Leaders need to build confidence, not undermine it. 

   The same is true in education. Teachers who harp on problems (as do most) discourage progress rather than nurture it.

   Challenging staff member to improve is different than harrassing them with threats of termination if they make mistakes.

   The best motivation for peak performance is to serve the interests of Love, not fear. However, subjecting ourselves to the evaluation of others is understandable as a world-based reality check. The performer who ignores the approbation of audiences does so at the peril of her worldly success.

   Still, some of our finest work will always go unrecognized. Our ultimate judge must be within, not without. Each caregiver knows that the key question is not whether we please our supervisor but whether we are serving those in need.

   All these words are only useful if they help us remember this: When we serve God's Love, we are performing for the only light that matters. In the face of crossfire from others, this can be incredibly difficult.

   At the end of each day, the finest caregivers don't ask themselves what their supervisor is saying (even if it's good.) They ask only, "have I lived Love?"

-Erie Chapman