35. Don’t Judge. Get The Facts.

Don’t make assumptions. There’s usually more to the story than it first appears. Gather the facts before jumping to conclusions or making judgments. Be curious about what other information might give you a more complete picture.

Stephen's Message:

For me, this is one of the most difficult fundamentals to do daily. Just as the fundamental states – don’t make assumptions; get the facts before jumping to conclusions.

Being judgmental has to do with being overly critical. We all need to be less critical and more empathetic.   This means asking questions to see another’s point of view, because simply being critical may give us negative results. This goes back to getting the facts. We need to know the facts before passing judgment. Are there recurring problems, or, are we passing judgment for a one time issue?

As I get older, I tell myself not to judge, but to listen and get the facts. We seem to easily remember the negative (what is not getting done, errors that are being made), instead of the associate’s good work ethic and living the five Famous Core Values. If we are all more patient and judge less in our lives, we will be less judgmental at work.

During our weekly Accounting Meetings, each associate has the opportunity to discuss all issues which may affect Famous and, the Accounting Team. Most times, it is about projects needing to get done, or, what is not getting done, and why. Many times, we all know that during our discussions, we tend to be judgmental without having all of the facts. We (Accounting Team) have a passion for excellence. Many times we find out the reason is that our associates may need additional training, to tighten up a process or just some follow up. We all have our stressful times in our lives, and we may not know what issues may be going on in another associates life that may affect their work performance. In our lives, it is very easy to jump to conclusions and criticize without getting all of the facts. We need to listen to one another to get the facts.

We should get to know our fellow associates, customers and vendors.   Knowing more about them, may help us understand the current situation before passing judgment. (Fundamental three – Personalize Our Purpose). We may also pass judgment in relation to the other’s personality. We should evaluate the situation, not the person. We can control our beliefs, attitudes and thoughts.

Thanks for reading, and, have a great week!