Stupid is real and it’s all around us
We have gun-free zones and safe zones. Why not a Stupid-Free Zone? We previously wrote a popular article called, “You Can’t Fix Lazy, Crazy, and Stupid“ and we stand by it. So if you can’t fix it then we recommend creating a workplace where stupid doesn’t exist… A Stupid-Free Zone.
Based on our “somewhat-scientific” research we have found that about 30% of the general population is stupid. We would consider this an epidemic. Sadly, when we initially begin working with a typical bank, we find 20%-30% of the employees fit into this category. This same percentage is found in most banks where customers’ life savings are being held and managed. Consider who you’re dealing with when faced with Stupid. He’s irrational, he’s non-manageable, he lacks basic common sense, he’s self-centered, he’s exhausting, and he can not be fixed. Knowing this basic information, here’s how you can create a Stupid-Free Zone in your bank. It’s starts with identifying stupid. Stupid is…
Stealing from your bank
This could be literally taking money out of a teller drawer, but more commonly it’s cheating on an incentive plan, or doing personal business on the bank’s dime in the name of work/life balance.
Gossiping or listening to it
If you’re hearing things like, “I heard…” or “Don’t tell anyone else, but…” or one of our favorites, “I’m concerned”, be careful! We all know what gossip is and what it sounds like.
Unauthorized social media at work
We’ve seen teachers post items for sale on Facebook during the middle of the school day. We’ve seen tellers post so-called funny cat videos on Instagram at 2pm while claiming the team is short-staffed. We’ve seen employees making negative comments about work on their Facebook page for all to see. Social media at work is not a new workers’ right and it’s certainly not private.
Responding, “reply all”, to large group emails
Ever get an email addressed to you and 20 or more other people with a notice that really doesn’t require a response? Hopefully you weren’t the one who clicked “reply all” to say thanks for the information.
Consistently showing up late
Every bank has a few of these people and unfortunately some of them are in management. Being consistently late shows that one is unorganized, doesn’t care about other people’s time, and they don’t care if everyone knows it. Talk about stupid.
And the list goes on!
We could list many more examples of stupid, but unless you are stupid, you probably already get the point we’re making and it would be stupid of us to continue. Some people have senior moments or millennial moments so it’s certainly possible that one could have a stupid moment. If you show any signs of stupid, the first step is to recognize it, admit it, and then maybe you can deal with it before stupid completely takes over. Do your part to keep your bank a Stupid-Free Zone.
