Absolute Citrin
by Richard Citrin

In a powerful scene from the movie Gandhi, portrayed by Ben Kingsley, he asks his wife Kasturba, played by Rohin Hattanghadhi, to clean the ashram’s latrine upon the arrival of guests. When she hesitates, citing the task beneath her, Gandhi urges her to approach it joyfully, emphasizing the essence of equality in his mission.
I’ve been thinking about this approach to my work and play. I always have better times when I jump in and fully appreciate the opportunity to do the work. It’s easy with the things we love to do but more challenging with those we don’t. I’m reminding myself to approach every task with appreciation and enjoyment.
Recently, a client leader faced the challenging task of reprimanding an employee. Their performance was subpar, and their disengagement was evident. Dreading the conversation for weeks, he expressed his reluctance. As we talked, he kept shaking his head. “Let’s do it with joy,” I suggested to him. His expression told me he was about to reprimand me.
Intrigued, he asked how to inject joy into such a difficult task. Undertaking this with more joy means owning and executing the process with respect, empathy, and support for the employee and himself. I suggested several ways he could make even this most distasteful experience more pleasant for both parties.
My client later shared that, armed with this new mindset, he felt more connected with the employee and appreciated his skill set. As he navigated the delicate balance of criticism and encouragement, he could see the employee’s reactions shift from defensiveness to listening. Over the next several weeks, the employee embraced his new opportunity and saw this feedback as his manager’s honest effort at support and assistance. It was, in fact, a gift.
My client later reflected on this new way of seeing work not as a tactic for specific tasks but as a way of looking at his world and work. A “simple resilience strategy,” he told me, that made a big difference in his life.
© Richard Citrin 2023