Another One Bites the Dust

Since the inception of our practice some 14 years ago we have had one ongoing issue involving staffing. I have spoken to other small businesses and we are certainly not alone in this endeavor, good staff is hard to find and harder to keep. Even when you think you have good staff it sometimes turns out that their life span in the workplace is limited for many reasons.
The practice of matrimonial law in particular does not lend itself to a stress free environment. The nature of the work involves unhappy people, hard due dates and crazy cases. I thought I had established a fool proof way of hiring by warning the potential hirees about the practice and also about my own flawed nature.
I admit to being a type A personality. I also admit to being a control freak and quick tempered among my many virtues. I do value family time however, and am very liberal with time off and flex time for my staff to attend to their children and families. I also believe that our office is a nice place to work. Just don't screw up. And if you do screw up, admit to it, fix it if you can and suck it up when you get yelled at.
Simple and rather quick, I will usually not be angry for long and all will be right with the world. The fact that I come from an Italian family where yelling was our normal volume, and even saying I love you was said in a scream, I am continually stunned by the temperamental flowers who pass through these doors denying accountability and tearfully telling my partner what a monster I am.
After 14 years he now just shakes his head as they apologize to HIM but explain that they really cannot work with the tyrant who runs the place.

Funny how 14 years ago when we first started the practice and were still feeling our way as to who would be in charge of what, it was he who made the staff cry at regular intervals with his sarcasm and flip remarks. I therefore took over the role as office manager and he handled the finances. I choose to remind him of that whenever someone leaves because of me.

Most times I do not take it personally, people don't ever leave for one reason, usually there are a whole list of things preceding an event such as this, but it really is once again easier to blame someone else than to accept it yourself. Also I usually have a feel it is coming before it actually occurs. Yes, I am demanding, of my staff as well as myself. That is what makes our firm the success that it is.
NOTICE:
If you can't handle pressure, or a boss that demands perfection and some occasional yelling please do not apply.