The last few years have seen company after company making cuts in spending, investments and headcount. Some companies made deep cuts once. Others made a series of smaller cuts. Either way the cuts made affected the morale of people and their feelings about the organization and senior management. As people we do not respond well to activities or words that cut and tear down anything and especially when we feel cut at personally or torn down by others. Yet, at work it is easy to cut down people and then just go about our business, without much regard to the long-term effect those words have on others. With the smallest of words we can tear down another person and unfortunately it happens all the time. Sometimes you just wish you could reach out and take the cutting words and turn them around on the people that delivered those words. I worked with a person who thought that the best way to motivate others was to constantly be cutting at them and tearing them down to build them back up. If work was like being Jillian or Bob on NBC’s Biggest Loser, then that might be a good strategy, but that is not the way it is in the office. On the job we can’t just cut people down and expect that they are going to follow, trust or want to work with us. We read in Proverbs 12:18 that those who make cutting remarks are not those who are considered wise; “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” Today when the opportunity comes to either make the cutting remark, tear down, demean or make fun of another person, think twice and see if there aren’t other words can’t be chosen. See if today you can keep from making the cut.

Proverbs 12:18 (New Living Testament)