Spirit Lake Consulting Forum

I am going to use this post to describe a person who is the complete opposite of Joe The Tribal Worker.  I am going to call this tribal member/worker Susie Sainte.  Susie, like the rest of us, knows the difference between right and wrong; however, what makes her different from the rest of us is this—she actually practices what she believes in.

Susie follows and enforces the Policies and Procedures at the risk of losing her job.  As a supervisor, she hires qualified workers as opposed to workers who have political clout.  She also fires incompetent workers regardless of their political influence.  As an employee, she is conscientious about doing her work.  She does not cheat on her time card; she actually uses leave each time she leaves her worksite.  As a supervisor/manager/tribal council member, she reports to work the same time her employees do.  In short, she works every hour she gets paid for.

Joe despises Susie.  He is also mortally scared of her and, truth be known, he secretly envies her.  She is everything he would like to be but can’t be because he lacks the moral fiber.  His jealousy often turns into hate; therefore, he often does everything in his power to undermine her as his supervisor or fellow worker.  Susie unknowingly makes Joe look bad.  She is at work on time every morning, she doesn’t take more than the allotted time for breaks and lunches, she doesn’t punch out until the day is over, and, last but not least, she actually works.  Her behavior contrasts with his behavior and often prompts an unfavorable comparison from other workers.  As a result, he is constantly scheming to get Susie fired, usually by starting unsubstantiated rumors about her.

What makes Susie radically different than Joe is this—she is a person with uncommon moral courage.  She stands up and speaks up for what she believes in. In addition, she is her own worst critic.  She constantly reminds herself that certain behavior is wrong and, even if no one else knows, she will know and that knowledge is enough to make her behave ethically.  As a result, Susie really does not need anyone monitoring her work, which makes her an especially valuable employee.

Unfortunately, Susie’s moral courage is often her greatest liability.  She makes Joe and his buddy look so bad that he, and a group of like-minded individuals, conspire to get rid of her.  If they have enough political influence, they will either get her transferred or outright fired.  It is difficult for Susie to get hired in key positions, especially those that involve finances, because her ethics make it difficult for those who want to rip off the tribe.  She is such a danger to Joe The Tribal Worker that he goes all out to prevent her from getting appointed to committees/boards and will do anything to prevent her from getting elected to the Tribal Council.  Once appointed, or elected to any of these positions, Joe will more than likely drum up some false charges in an attempt to get her recalled from those positions.

Like Joe, I am sure you all know Susie, if so; I would like to hear your stories about her.