No, It’s Not the Principle: Deciding in the Best Interest of People

In this episode, Clinton Lewis talks about why decisions in human services should never be driven by “the principle” or personal beliefs. When you’re working with people, you’re dealing with real lives, and your actions have real consequences. This episode reminds listeners that decisions must be grounded in what is in the best interest of the child or family, what is within policy and the law, and what keeps everyone safe, not what feels satisfying, symbolic, or righteous to the worker. It’s a call to stay focused, professional, and grounded in your role.

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Transcript

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Welcome to Human Services Stories, Management, Customer, and Staff Voices. I'm Clinton Lewis, and I'm glad you're here. This show is about the people behind the work, the managers, staff, customers, and communities who care, support, and will help one another move forward. And this episode is called No, it's not the principle. If you're in human services, you probably have heard, or maybe even said, something like, It's not even about the principle, or I'm doing this because it's the right thing. Even when the right thing feels a lot more like your own feelings than the actual situation. But when you're working with people, especially in child welfare or family services, you're dealing with real life, not ideas, not theories, and not movie scenes. Your decisions carry weight and your actions have real life consequences. One of our most important mindsets in the work is this. Decisions should never be made based on principle alone. When you say I'm doing this for the principle, what you're saying is I'm doing this to prove a point. The human service has proving a point is not the goal. The goal is to keep people safe, support families, and follow the bright process. Principle thinking shows up as taking a hard stand, just be consistent with a past decision, refusing to bend when the situation has changed, or making a scene to make someone see it my way. That kind of approach can feel powerful, but it's dangerous when children and families are involved. What matters most is not your pride, your ego, or your sense of being right. It's the outcome for the people you serve. When you're working with someone, your decisions should always be guided by two things. Number one, what is in the best interest of the child or family? Number two, what is within policy and law? Those two anchors keep you grounded. They keep you from drifting into personal opinions, biases, or moral performances. You know, it's tempting to let your anger about a parent's choices drive your tone, or let your frustration with the system drive your decisions, or let your personal beliefs about discipline or tough love shape your approach. But when you let those feelings drive the work, you're not serving a person, you're serving your own story. Here's a hard but honest truth. Your personal beliefs do not belong at the center of every case. You came into this work with values, upbringing, religious views, and life experiences. These things are part of who you are, but they're not the reason you were hired. You were hired to protect children, support families, follow policy, and work within the law. When you take a case, you're not deciding what the person deserves. You're deciding what is the safest, most realistic, and most supportive within the boundaries of your role. That means that you intentionally set aside personal judgment, personal agendas, and personal narratives. And there's something that you know, there's something that may sound simple, but it matters deeply. This is not a scene from the movie Friday. You're not on a set, you're not playing a role for a camera, you're sitting in an office, in a home, in a courtroom, or on the phone, helping people who are scared, tired, and confused. The idea that making a point or teaching someone a lesson has no place in prof in professional human services decisions. The phrase there are principalities involved should never come to mind when you're deciding on a case plan, a placement, a visit, or a resource. This is not a spiritual battle, it's a human one. And it's your responsibility to stay grounded in your professional role, not in symbolism, drama, or any phrase that sounds like it belongs in a movie or a sermon. Human services work is less about being right and more about being responsible. You're responsible for protecting safety, honoring due process and following procedures, and keeping your emotional reactions in check. When you find yourself thinking, I'm doing this because it's the right thing, pause and ask, is this actually in the best interest of the child or family? Is this within policy and the law? And could this decision be made differently if I separated my personal feelings from my professional role? If the answer leans towards making a point, you're not in the right place. If the answer leans towards safety, families, and support, you're on the right track. This is a coaching moment. The is this really about me pause. There's a simple coaching moment for this episode. Before you make a decision that feels strong, emotional, judgment or judgment heavy, pause and ask yourself, number one, is this decision based on the best interest of the child or family, or is it based on my own need to be right? Number two, is this within policy and the law, or am I stretching the rules to prove something? And number three, if I took my personal beliefs out of the room, would I still make the same decision the same choice? Then complete this sentence. No, it's not about the principle, it's about the people, the policy, and the law. Again, no, it's not about the principle, it's about the people, the policy, and the law. Say it to yourself either quietly or in your heart, whether you feel tempted to let the principal pride or personal belief lead the way. Thank you for listening to Human Services Stories, Management, Customer, Staff Voices. If you're listening today, remember, no, it's not about the principle. When you're working with people, you're dealing with real lives, and your actions have literal consequences. The shoulds and should be made within the best interest of the child or family at the center, guided by policy, law, and your professional responsibility, not by your personal beliefs, you need to be right, or your inner movie script. Remember, you got this.