I love to love. I don’t love to be loved in return.  That is a very hard concept for most people to comprehend. They’ll say, ‘oh yeah, me to, I just love that person’, but when ‘that’ person doesn’t love them in return, the way they want to be loved, they no longer ‘love’ that person.

The employment relationship is a lot like that.

When you’re an employee you want to love your employer.  Also, you want your employer to love you.  One without the other seems like a bad mix.

I love to love.  If someone I love stops loving me, or doesn’t love me the same as I love them, I like to believe it doesn’t change my love.  When all my sons were really little, they loved me in a way that I will never forget.  I was the center of their world.  As they grow older, I know they still love me, but I also know I’m no longer the center of their world.  My love has not changed for them, they are still the center of my world.  I don’t think less of them for this.  This is growth.  It is my hope, I’ve shown them how to love their children, if they are fortunate enough to have them.

Just like we shouldn’t think less of our employees who fall out of love with us.  Nor should we fall out of love with them, just because they fall out of love with us.  Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for these feelings.  I see this all the time.  Well, we loved Mary, but for some reason she stopped loving us, so screw her we don’t love her anymore!  Would you do that with your children?  Your parents? Your spouse? (Wait, don’t answer that!)

I love my employees.  If I fall out of love with an employee it usually ends rather quickly.  If an employee falls out of love with me, it hurts.  But I don’t stop loving them.  I care about them making good choices.  I care that they are healthy and successful.  I want the best for them. That might not be with me and my company, but I want it all the same.

I love to love.

Happy Valentines Day!