Category: Observation

I've had a terrible vision…

…it started when I was digesting the latest communication about the latest round of musical chairs where a few more chairs have been removed and the rest re-arranged in a neat “get a draw away from home” formation.

It had to do with shrinking pools – and the vision that flashed up was one I had seen on television in one of those fascinating nature programmes that both amaze and worry you.

There was a drought coming – the waters were receding, and in the deeper pools the shallower channels that connected them to the main flow were approaching dangerously low levels – effectively cutting them off.

Some of the cleverer little fish spotted what was happening, put on their metaphoric pumps and with a deft flick of their tails “legged” it across the channel in the style of Indiana Jones. They made it to a deeper pool and eventually out to the main stream – scary, but surprisingly invigorating!

The older, more “experienced” fish expected to “sit” it out in their old pond despite the diminishing amount of water (and therefore oxygen) and determined to carry on regardless. They accepted that it was good for those upstarts to leave and make more room for the serious boys in the good old pond.

The upstarts would never make it out there, if we lie still and don’t breathe too heavily we can stay here until it gets better and the new water comes in again and then we can carry on from where we were.

Guess what – the water levels continued to drop, the channels to the rest of the world dried up completely cutting them off, and the big fish got into more and more difficulty. They could no longer get out, nor could they all fit into the reducing water and had to fight it out amongst themselves to see who could get to the bottom of the pond fastest (and stay there) and therefore, literally, survive. The ones who couldn’t get to the bottom and stay there keeping their heads down out of sight, away from the sun’s heat, were slowly enduring an agonising death as they suffocated, which in turn was poisoning the pool and affecting everything in it, even those hiding out at the bottom.

Do we need to put our pumps on and get our little feet out there in the main stream and leave the overcrowded, big, but shrinking, pond?

Are we being poisoned by the stagnation in the big pond?

Perhaps I need to stop eating cheese just before I go to bed…

What Price Integrity?

Huge thanks to Joseph Bridgstock for this great story:

Avoid getting in a pickle.

Did you see Eric Pickles, Chairman of the Conservative party, squirming in front of the BBC’s Question Time audience last week? The debate was about MP’s receiving funds to purchase second homes near Westminster, and in the course of the debate it was revealed to much heckling and booing from the audience, that Mr Pickles claimed funds for a second home despite being based only 37 miles from Westminster.

As a man that will be driving 113 miles to work on Monday morning (or taking the tempting 5 train option) I appreciated the audience’s incredulity. Pickles could probably have justified it a little better, but saying “I have to get to work on time” or, “I work long hours”, was not helpful. The debate was sparked by the increased exposure of MPs acting within the letter of the rules, but not within the spirit of them. It’s along the same lines as the “what can we get away with?” mindset that we may encounter in the workplace.

I’m sticking with anecdotes today, so here’s a slightly more inspiring one. I recently heard an American public speaker share a story about passing through Chicago airport with business associates. One of these associates had just sold his company for tens of millions of dollars. As they passed a newspaper vending machine the man placed a single coin in the machine, opened the door and began dispensing newspapers to the group. With the exception of the first news paper he removed, these were of course, stolen. Stolen by the multi-millionaire. As he handed a paper to our speaker, the storyteller placed a coin of his own in the machine and said, “Jim, for 25 cents I can maintain my integrity. A dollar, questionable, but 25 cents—no, not for 25 cents.” The speaker added wryly that a few minutes later he had watched the rich man leave the group to stuff a handful of coins into the machine.

Both these stories make me wonder what price we would put on integrity. I would like to think that most employees (a) believe in the value of integrity both internally and in customer relations, and (b) do not fall into the ‘getting away with it’ mindset. However a colleague once told me they leave their morals at the door when they arrive at work, and put them back on when they leave. Another tried to instruct me in how to fiddle the expenses system to best advantage. Maybe you’ve come across similar, and maybe you’ve seen companies and individuals get themselves into what we must now refer to as “a Pickle”.

I’d like to invite anyone that’s lasted this long (well done by the way) to have a think about your own experiences of integrity in the workplace. Have you seen it benefit the customer experience? Have you seen the harm of a ‘getting away with it’ culture? Have you come across research or studies on integrity and ethics in the workplace? Please share them with us, and help others avoid getting in “a Pickle”.

Five Steps to Sanity

A panel of scientists (I prefer the collective noun experiment but seeing as I just made it up…) has found that simple activities such as gardening or mending a bicycle, can help people lead more fulfilled and productive lives, and protect mental health. They’ve dolloped these activities into five categories, each with evidence of their success behind it. This group of scientists is part of a government think tank working in this instance on mental capital and well being. Oh. You might now be thinking, that’s handy, five steps to sanity to line up nicely with your five daily portions of fruit and veg. Well I agree that this kind of research is a little unusual but let’s leave the cynicism on the side for the moment with the sprouts and broccoli, and have a look at the five steps:

 

Connect – developing relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours will enrich your life and bring you support

 

Be Active – sports, hobbies such as gardening or dancing, or just a daily stroll will make you feel good and maintain mobility and fitness

 

Be Curious – Noting the beauty of everyday moments as well as the unusual and reflecting on them helps you to appreciate what matters to you

 

Learn – fixing a bike, learning an instrument, cooking, the challenge and satisfaction brings fun and confidence

 

Give – helping friends and strangers links your happiness to a wider community and is very rewarding

 

I like these five steps. I see work and life as part of a wheel spinning truly on its axis. I see strong links between these and satisfaction for our customers, colleagues and others around us. What do you think? Perhaps I’m just not eating enough greens but I think there’s something here…

 

If you want to take a look at the detailed research and download the report, there’s something in there for all ages.