3. No good deed goes unpunished

Doug Nieb, a former Human Resources comrade, a man with a flat affect and a back pocket full of snide but true observations, introduced me to this cynical phrase. As HR folks, we were frequently called on to start employee newsletters, plan holiday parties, manage employee recognition programs, etc. Without fail, whenever we stepped up to do something to better serve our employees, we were peppered with complaints and general insults ("the party is too expensive," "why can't kids come," "I can't read the newsletter in that format" and on and on and on and on.) It happened at almost every company I worked for.

Have you been singled out by whiners and n'er-do-wells when you stepped up to chair that church committee no one else volunteered for? Have the complaints overpowered the positive comments when you tried to organize something new in your neighborhood?

This is what I've learned. Just because the complainers will drown out those who appreciate what you do, stepping forward to do what's right is worth it. If something is worth doing, attack it head on because you know it's right and you know it has value, not because you want to be stroked and bolstered up by applause and appreciation. You have to weather the storm and do it because in your heart you know it is worthwhile.