Happy belated Father’s Day to all the dads and father-figures out there!

On Father’s Day every year, dads in my church are invited to give the Father’s Day homily at Sunday Mass. This past weekend, I volunteered to offer the Father’s Day reflection.

In a little league baseball-themed Father’s Day homily, I focused my reflection on the “rules.” As fathers, setting out the rules for our children seems our natural instinct: to bring order to the house, to lay the foundation for a good life, and perhaps like our fathers before us, to set discipline in order to succeed.

All too often, we let the so-called rules – religious and otherwise – stand in the way of the love between us and our children.

My Father’s Day homily encouraged fathers to stop clinging to those so-called rules that stand in the way of the love between us and our children, and to recommit ourselves to love. Access my reflection here on YouTube: Father’s Day reflection (Jeff Nowak, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, June 18, 2023) – YouTube

What Rules Get in the Way of a Healthy Relationship with Your Employees?

It occurs to me that we should apply a similar concept to our employees, particularly when, due to their own or a family member’s serious medical condition, they legitimately need time off from work.

Though the (FMLA) rules are important, we should not let them blind us such that we lose sight of what our employee needs.

What so-called rules do you cling to that get in the way of a healthy relationship with your employees? Do we lead with empathy? Kindness? Care?

There is no question the rules are important. And we should expect employees to give 100% at all they do. But to be an employer of choice playing the long game, let’s lead with kindness, empathy, and dare I say it, some love.