How Big is Your Plank?

As an HR Director, I remember listening to an employee complain about the lack of productivity from a coworker. She went on to complain about her coworker’s excessive breaks, personal telephone calls, and lack of teamwork. However, the person in my office quickly got up and left when I pointed out that she hadn’t gotten to work on time all week, a couple of her projects were overdue, and she wasn’t exactly high on anyone’s list of being the friendliest person to work with.

A while back, I had a friend who was quick to point out when someone’s parenting skills weren’t up to par. Yet, she seemed blind to the fact that her child threw quite a few temper tantrums of her own.

I remember talking with a woman who gossiped about a girlfriend who would not leave her no-good man, practically berating her for being so stupid. Yet, she allowed herself to be mistreated over and over again by the man in her life.

There was this woman who constantly talked about anybody and everybody’s eating and exercise habits – telling them what they needed to do to be healthy. Yet, she was tipping the scales at 200 pounds.

There was a guy who looked at the people in his family that were struggling financially and kept putting them down because they couldn’t get their finances together. Yet, he was in debt up to his ears and had no money in the bank.

Are you seeing a pattern? Are you getting my point? We can all be quick to point out what’s wrong with someone else. We can clearly - without stuttering, hesitating, or stumbling over our words - articulate what someone else needs to do to solve their problem. And 99% of the time, we give our advice unsolicited! Yet, we refuse to look at ourselves and see that we may want to stop giving advice and start taking our own advice.

Paraphrasing from the Bible: First, take that supersized plank out of your eye before you go messing around with the speck in someone else’s.

Or, as my girlfriend likes to say – don’t be a hypocrite!