Two stories

Story 1

I’ve mentioned before that my son has type 1 diabetes. He’s insulin-dependent and will be for his entire life. Here’s a description from Wikipedia (I know, not a scientific source of information—however this sums up what I want to point out):

Type 1 treatment must be continued indefinitely in all cases. Treatment is not intended to significantly impair normal activities, and can be done adequately if sufficient patient training, awareness, appropriate care, discipline in testing and dosing of insulin is taken. Complications may be associated with both low blood sugar and high blood sugar, both largely due to the non-physiological manner in which insulin is replaced. Low blood sugar may lead to seizures or episodes of unconsciousness and requires emergency treatment. High blood sugar may lead to increased fatigue and can also result in long term damage to organs.

I met a woman a few years back who had type 2 diabetes. Here’s a description of that disease:

Type 2 diabetes is due to a combination of lifestyle and genetic factors. A number of lifestyle factors are known to be important to the development of type 2 diabetes. In one study, those who had high levels of physical activity, a healthy diet, did not smoke, and consumed alcohol in moderation had an 82% lower rate of diabetes. When a normal weight was included, the rate was 89% lower. In this study, a healthy diet was defined as one high in fiber, with a high polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio, and a lower mean glycemic index. Obesity has been found to contribute to approximately 55% of cases of type 2 diabetes, and decreasing consumption of saturated fats and trans fatty acids while replacing them with unsaturated fats may decrease the risk. The increased rate of childhood obesity between the 1960s and 2000s is believed to have led to the increase in type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents.

Do you see the difference? People with type 2 diabetes can do a lot to control their disease by the lifestyle choices they make, and those choices can help them stay off insulin. Those with type 1 don’t have that option. This lady blew off everything she knew she could/should be doing to control her disease and that annoyed the crap out of me. She had a choice and didn’t value that choice, and worse, she didn't do a thing to make her situation better.

Story 2

I work with a woman who is a dotted line direct report—that means she works for me on some projects. She doesn’t handle change well and she tends to be inflexible about her job. She’s been targeted before for layoffs and it looks as though it’s happening again. Both my manager and I have made it our goal to help her demonstrate her value to the company by giving her projects outside the scope of her normal job (but still well within her job family). When times are tough, you bust your butt, right? But she isn’t. She’s griping endlessly about how she’s not doing what she was hired to do, blah, blah blah ad infinitum. Despite reminding her that we all remain gainfully employed and these projects are designed to maintain that status, my message is not sinking in.

Yesterday I learned that a friend who has been through a lot of job adversity in her family will be losing her job. I know my friend does everything and more to succeed at her job; this situation is out of her control because the company is eliminating the entire division.

I want to shake this lady who works for me and tell her to wake up. People are losing their jobs all over the place—she’s got a chance to save hers and instead she’s just wasting it.