Taking Off the Gloves

Rachel Lock | Photographer

That may seem like an odd equation:  Trust = Health.  But think about it.

If you don’t trust your doctor, you won’t take your medicine.  If you don’t trust your banker, you won’t invest your money. If you don’t trust your employees, you won’t give them the autonomy to grow your business. If you don’t trust your community’s leadership, you won’t work with them to make the community a better place to live and work.

We love Topeka.  We are raising our families here for a reason.  But if you stop and take a hard look at what is going on around you, you have to admit we don’t display much trust.

How can you trust someone who is forcing you to pick a side but won’t listen to your point of view?

How can you trust someone who will badmouth you or your business if they don’t agree with you on an issue?

How can you trust someone who is not willing to put his or her name behind their words?

When we put together an issue of TK, we don’t all agree on what should be included.  We certainly don’t always agree on the design of each page.  But, you know what we are good at?  Listening to each other’s point of view and making the decision that is best for the magazine.  We can do that because we trust each other.  We trust that we can bring our ideas forward without fear of being ridiculed or bullied.  We trust that our opinions matter and will not be dismissed because they don’t fit into a narrow framework.  And, because of that trust, TK is growing and getting better each issue.

Why can’t we operate that way as a community?  Instead of picking sides and putting on the boxing gloves, or worse, making anonymous posts and comments on local media websites, let’s start listening to each other in a respectful and thoughtful manner.  We are never going to all agree, but that’s the point, when we all share, good ideas become great ideas.

So take off the gloves, sign your name and realize that there is only one side—Topeka’s side.

Tara & Lisa

--- Publisher Page from the Summer 2012 Issue of TK Business Magazine ---