Explaining MS When Others Can ’t or Won’t Understand

I miss much from my former career as a chef: I was good at my job, I was respected for my work, and I associated with some of the best people I’ve ever come into contact with. I’ve said before that it’s by remembering the skills from our “former” lives and applying them to multiple sclerosis (MS) that we can most successfully live with MS. I was thinking of one particular lesson I learned and passed along to my staff that I thought might be helpful to some who are having a difficult time with others who persist in misunderstanding MS. Start With a Clear Explanation In the middle of a long-term consulting gig, a woman who’d been hired a few weeks after I started came to me with a professional question. “How is it that you get so much out of this kitchen staff, yet you never raise your voice?” she asked. She’d worked in many restaurants and under many chefs. They must have all been screamers (yes, there are still a few of those left in my former industry). I explained my management philosophy to her and realized that it was the first time I’d ever put it into words. I told her that if there was something one of my employees was doing incorrectly, I felt it was my fault … the first time. If I’d told someone what to do and how to do it, and the employee was not performing the task as directed, I had likely not made my point clearly enough and in a way that this person could understand. Affirm That the Other Person Understood In that case, we would have...
Source: Life with MS - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: multiple sclerosis awareness Everyday Health life with MS Living with MS MS and family relationships work Source Type: blogs