Goliaths in the Workplace

Goliaths in the workplace is a real thing. It happens inter-agency and intra-agency. I liken the Bible story of David and Goliath to the current workplace in America. For the sake of this analogy, imagine David and Goliath as co-workers, partners, or shareholders in your workplace. Instead of working together to provide seamless services to the end-user. The Goliaths create unnecessary roadblocks. Goliaths know they do not have the answers or the charisma needed to get a job done so they do not take responsibility for their actions. They instead blame others for their inability to provide successful outcomes. This creates the roadblock we discussed earlier. Goliaths bring issues to your supervisor and their supervisor and so on. This creates a disruption in work, thereby delaying services to the end-user.

Goliaths stir up contention and disorder because they do not have the capacity for the cause. As a Naval leader, we were always taught to handle things at the lowest level possible. The best way to c.y.a. is to complete your task on time, follow the instructions, and document. If Goliaths continually have to involve their leadership then they are ineffective as a leader. They are the cause of lost man-hours which results in the loss of wages and decreased productivity. As a member of your team, you were chosen for your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Prove the people that hired you right! Make Goliaths in the workplace a thing of the past. In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, make doing your job and providing uninterrupted services to your end-user normal.

If you find yourself in this story as the Goliath, the one who interrupts services, do better, it is not about you. Your end-user deserves it and they will thank you for it. If you are a David, consistently providing uninterrupted services to your end-users, BE ENCOURAGED! You were created for this. Do not quit! Stay Focused! Your end-users need you. Keep taking the high road when Goliaths go low. Spoiler alert: David wins and you will too! (If you would like to read about David and Goliath, 1 Samuel 17) #veteran #workplace #stakeholders #partners #workforce #workforcedevelopment #coworkers #interagency #intragency #vets #endusers