Comments on: Acknowledgement Power in Jury Duty?

By: Paula Shoup

Paula Shoup — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:42:40 +0000

In reply to Kitty. Thank you to Kitty and Walt for your comments. It is great to hear that acknowledgement does make a difference and that a jury duty experience was life changing. It is a big responsibility and much more positive than the perspective of drudgery.

By: Kitty

Kitty — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:12:33 +0000

Paula, such a coincidence, I just received a jury summons yesterday. Trepidation! I’m in the mountains yet healing and I have to be in the valley for this to happen. Relief! it happens to be on the week I plan to return to my consulting practice. You gave me a whole new perspective on jury duty.
It has been about ten years since I was on a jury, as well. However, as I look back, it was a life changing experience. We were on a jury for a man who had committed murder and we had to determine his sentence.That really gives one pause. I always look back at those days I rode the bus from Mesa to Phoenix and on the last day when he was sentenced to 18 years in jail, his family also rode the bus with me. I felt really bad for them.
We are given a responsibility in America to sit in judgement of those of us who have gone against the law of the land and of the human race. If not for this, we wouldn’t have a democracy, I agree with the judge you quoted, though I did not see the video. Life in America is amazing, I so appreciate it.

By: Walt

Walt — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 01:09:41 +0000

I have always thanked my employees more than anyone they have ever worked for. Since they are mostly truckers and construction workers, (seemingly tough guys) I have always felt that at some point, they either respect me, or think I’m a whimp…. So I just keep doing it.
I also make a special point to recognize extra work by pulling them aside to telling them I appriciate what they accomplished in that specific instance.
I never really knew the effect this could have on someone until the tables were turned. Recently, in the middle of a particuarly difficult project, when everything seemed to become a challenge, yet I was able to keep making progress without losing too much ground, one of my partners kept telling me he was thankful I was on the job, and that he appreciated my hard work. This helped me stand strong, and inspired me to go out and do even better.