Hide and Seek Is a Great Game If Someone Is Looking For YOU!

Hide and Seek Is a Great Game
If Someone Is Looking For You

Hide and Seek is a game that has been played for a very long time.  I played it, my son played it, and his children love to play it.  One thing that I have noticed, though, is that it does not take too long before the person hiding makes some noise on purpose to make sure that he or she is found.

By now you are probably thinking, what in the world is Lee talking about now!!

Here is my theory:  Everyone wants to be found. People want you to discover them.  People want to be noticed.  People want to be a part of the team and not stay hidden under the desk or behind a door.  Everyone deep down wants to be found and appreciated and recognized.  They want you to find them and then develop them.  They want you to coach and counsel them, even though sometimes they don’t act like it.

I have a friend that I work with who told me once that when she was just a little girl, she always made noise to make sure she was found when they were playing hide and seek.

If you don’t notice people in a positive way, they sometimes will do high-risk things to be noticed.

A few years ago I wrote an artilce entitled Diversity Begins and Ends With You and Me . . . Creating an Inclusive Environment. One way to create an inclusive environment is “Knowing Your Team.”  This is like hide and seek.  Find them by getting to know them and also let them get to know you too. 

I was just in a meeting recently and talked with a Cast Member who had a strong management background.  She was working in a Front-Line role for five years before we “found her.”  Shame on us for taking five years to get to know her.  She is now a very successful Leader  at the Walt Disney World® Resort.  In the end it was a Leader in her work area that found her and encouraged her to go into a leadership position.

How long would you want to play hide and seek if it took five years to find you?  Not long I am sure.  You might not make an audible noise, but you might quit.

Our future Leaders are out there.  Some are hiding and don’t know it, but all of them will be happy when you finally find them. J

Remember this one thing . . . A diverse workforce is the product of an inclusive workplace.  When EVERYONE feels respected, appreciated, and valued, we will have achieved the ultimate inclusive workplace, where no one will leave.  Why would they?  An inclusive workplace is a place where EVERYONE is important, and they know they are important.

Get out there and yell, “Olly, Olly, Alls in Free, Here I Come (to find YOU), Ready or Not!”   . . . Lee