By Shawn Sailer
Co-Sports Editor
Loyalty is an important thing. People are loyal to many different people in their lives. There are loyalties between family members, friends, co-workers, and higher ups. It is important to have each other’s back in good times, but also in difficult times.
If someone did something well, you should support them, if someone is struggling with something, you should support them and if someone messes up, you should support them. If they did something well, they want to feel like other people care about what they did. If they are struggling, they might need you to assist them or just be there to tell them everything will be ok. If someone messed up, whether it was their fault or not, you should be there to back them up and help them correct the mistake or make sure they know what should be done if a similar case happens again.
With friends, if they are struggling emotionally, talk to them and see what is wrong. If there is some way you can tangibly help them, do it. If they just need your support, be there for them to talk to. If your friend accomplished something, you should praise them. It is especially important, in my opinion, to be loyal and praise those who have overcome adversity and need your aid and guidance. If you aren’t loyal, for one, you may not have friends, and second, the other people who you call friends, may continue to struggle for the worst.
With family, whether it is blood-related family or extended family, you should always be loyal and helpful. In times of need, you should support and in times of crisis, you should support each other. If you have another family member suffering, you should help them, even if you don’t agree with things they are doing or have done in their life.
In the case of a workplace, co-workers should stand up for one another against upper management and upper management should back their employees against other companies and the public. Co-workers should help each other to fix the problem before it gets to the upper management or just talk to the upper management with the co-worker who made the mistake and help to explain what happened.
If I’m a manager of a company and one of my employees makes a mistake, I talk to the employee about what happened and tell the employee that I (or we as a company) back you fully and will work with you to fix the mistake and make the problem as harmless as possible. If we could keep it internal, we will, but if the issue got out to the public, we would still back our employee and issue a statement of some sort saying we realize there is an issue and we have corrected it. Don’t let it linger where people in the public make a bigger deal of something than it really is.
Loyalty is also remembering who got you where you are and helped and supported you along the way. There could be many people, from many different groups who helped you, friends, family, former and current co-workers and bosses.
I support my friends and people I care about in good times and bad. If they made a mistake, I will tell them, but I will also stand behind them and help them get through it. I know I have people in my life who will support me and help me no matter what the circumstances are. That is what loyalty is about.