Issue #27
Click here to Download Eric's Thanksgiving Prayer (.pdf format)
In this issue:
Word to the Whys
"Don't be against things, so much as for things."
~ Colonel Harland Sanders, Founder, KFC
"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value."
~ Thomas Paine, Anglo-American political philosopher (1737-1809)
"For many youth, joy comes as the result of mining something unique and wondrous about themselves from some inner shaft."
~ Thomas J. Cottle, professor of education, Boston University
"Don't wait for perfection to heap praise on!"
~ Ken Blanchard, PhD, Author of The One Minute Manager
"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."
~ Nelson Henderson
"To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness."
~ Confucius
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Appreciation
The Magic of those Magic Words
As I write this article, my fingers and palms are littered with Golden Retriever hair and it's wreaking havoc with the keyboard on my laptop. Tucker, my wife's pride and joy, lives to be stroked, hugged, and have his belly rubbed. Even if he has gone a full day without food, he'll pass right by a dish of his favorite kibble if he thinks that there's someone on the other side who might just pat his head and whisper "good boy." Realistically, Tucker does little to deserve the praise. He doesn't do housework. He doesn't earn his keep. He can't even pet us back. So why do we continue to heap love and attention on Tucker?
Simple. He appreciates it. And not just the "hey, thanks" patronizing kind, either. Tucker really, truly appreciates every single pet he gets. He sits there and gently puts his paw on your lap as if to say "I'd go make you a smoothie if my paws could work the blender, friend!" That's enough to motivate anyone around him to pet him, regardless of the unwanted souvenir follicles that accompany the exchange.
Although a paycheck might be enough to get us up and off to work each day - it provides little incentive to do more than the minimum daily requirement. The reason you and I perform at a higher level is because someone notices and acknowledges us for our actions. It could be our supervisor or our boss. Perhaps it's our employees, customers, or company stockholders. Maybe it's our spouse. But one thing is for sure, we give a lot more when we know there's someone waiting to give us a pat on the head.
Naturally, this kind of appreciation was not what the Pilgrims had in mind when they bowed their heads to offer thanks for the meal they were about to share with their Native brethren. Or was it? Certainly they realized who had provided their feast and they wanted to acknowledge the source so that their horn would continue to overflow with plenty.
Along comes a new breed into our workplace. Those seemingly ungrateful Gen Whys who've forgotten how to say thanks. They take and take and then act as if they're deserving of more. Didn't they ever learn the magic words at home?
Having spent more time in front of a video game screen than in meaningful dialogue with mom or dad, Whys may have learned that to obtain additional life or extended playing time requires them to conquer and destroy an opponent. Manners get them no where. Suffice it to say, positive reinforcement has been closely associated with negative behavior. That interpersonal pat on the back for a job well done - much less just showing up and doing their job - has not been a part of their daily bread.
If you're like most employers of 16 to 24 year olds, you secretly wish that your front line staff would demonstrate a more appreciative attitude toward you, and definitely towards your customers. But it is hard to pass along what they, themselves, have not had.
It's too late to play mom or dad to your Whys, but it's not too late to teach them to value and radiate appreciation. The best way to get them to say (and mean) "thank you" is to demonstrate heartfelt appreciation when they perform well. Let them internalize how good it feels to be praised when they do the right thing, and positively stroked for going above and beyond. Build in systems that remind you to daily praise accomplishment and applaud achievement for your people and you will see that the spirit becomes contagious. You'll help your Whys develop a more appreciative attitude for you, their job, and your customers, and the long- term results will keep you a happy Pilgrim.
Click here to Download Eric's Thanksgiving Prayer (.pdf format)
After joining the Gay Straight Alliance at her California high school, freshman Lisa McClelland, 15, noted the school had a Black Student Union, a chapter of Latinos Unidos, and an ALOHA Club for Asian Americans. Why not a Caucasian Club, wondered the girl, who is of Scottish, German, American Indian, Latino and Irish descent, so she got more than 300 student signatures on a petition to start one. But "Some people would say words like 'racist' when they see me," she said later, and the NAACP called the club's name "culturally insensitive". She says the proposed club would be open to anyone who wanted to talk about race, or express pride in their European heritage. But she says she was harassed so much for her idea that she transferred to another school. The school she left? Freedom High School. (San Francisco Chronicle)
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Charles D. McKinley, 24, of Brooklyn, N.Y., had four weeks of vacation coming, so he decided to visit his parents in DeSoto, Texas. Rather than buy a plane ticket for $320, McKinley, a shipping clerk, packed himself into a shipping crate and air-expressed himself home, charging the fees to his employer. When the crate was delivered to his parents' front step, McKinley pushed out of the box and shook hands with the "shaken and frightened" delivery driver. The driver called the police. After an investigation by the FBI, the U.S. attorney, postal inspectors, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration, McKinley was charged as a stowaway, a federal misdemeanor. (Dallas Morning News)
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~ Alan W. Stock, President & COO, Cinemark
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