It's Time to Breathe and Serve

In 2004, I was a facilitator at the Parliament of World Religions Conference in Montserrat, Spain. During the sessions, people began to share some of their painful life experiences and we all felt a collective stress. A stress that seemed to stop progress.

As I stood up to speak, I invited everyone to recognize what we were each feeling. Immediately, people realized that we were all experiencing the same thing and this common understanding instantly created a new feeling of peace in the room. I challenged everyone to consider one commitment they could make to serve the community assembly. It was a "collective breath" that enabled us to shift our focus from ourselves towards others and we were able to move forward. Afterwards, the graphic artist that recorded the session showed me how she captured my presentation (see the image above).

Now, it seems as though a global stress has stopped progress. We all struggle with our own real challenges and we hope that we can survive the economic crisis. The problem: We think we are all alone -- that somehow, we must go through all of this by ourselves. This isolation and stress combines to stop our progress.

May I suggest that it is time to take a collective breath? More importantly, if we are to get back on track, we must start to think how we can be of service to others and realize we are all in this together. What can you do to get things going again? Who can you serve today?

Happiness NOT Allowed

In uncertain and stressful times like we are experiencing now, it is easy to be discouraged. The news floods us with crisis after crisis (never explaining how we seem to survive each news cycle of new problems). Unfortunately, this daily grind of bad news, fear mongering, and crisis creating has made people scared and angry.

Lashing out at others seems to have become the prescription de jour. While it is a fleeting way to feeling better, people don't know what else to do. So, the anger, accusations, lashing out, and fear go around and around in a cynical cycle all the while people desperately hope to find some happiness.

Just this last week the Social Security Administration had a conference and training for 600+ of their employees. The media lashed out at them for frivilous spending and people jumped on the band wagon shaking their fingers madly at the ghastly administration that would dare have a conference. Isn't it interesting that it is hard to be happy for others when we feel down ourselves? Even more interesting I find is that we often try to pull them back down to where we are in misery rather than trying to lift others up.

In this down economy is happiness NOT allowed? Why have we allowed anger and fear to consume us? Why do we frown when others succeed? Why can't we be happy that the Social Security Administration is trying to build the morale and skills of their workforce? Why must we be mad because they had fun in the process?

One more example from this week: Another government agency recently posted (and then retracted the posting) for speakers on humor in the workplace. They wanted someone to show their employees the value of being happy, but once the Congress heard about it, they retracted the request. Apparently, even Congress gets jealous if someone else is trying to find happiness. Of course, the criticism is surrounded by excuses and it justifies the anger even further.

I challenge us all to rethink where we are headed. Instead of making anger and fear the status quo, let's change the dialogue and create the happiness we all desperately seek. Instead of tearing others down, let's build them up.

Happiness NOT Allowed? Since when was that such a good idea?

To Recognize Means to "See Again"

To "see again" is to reframe and understand something that you may have seen before but not understood. To recognize gives us a second chance to see it again. Oftentimes, giving us the opportunity to see something we missed, or to appreciate all over, or to be reminded of those things that are most important.

While flying home from a presentation last week, I was reminded of those things that are most important -- again. And, as usual, it took someone else to remind me when I least expected it. It all started when I found myself sitting next to a young Navy Sailor and he was obviously upset. I didn't say anything as we sat down, but about an hour into the flight he started to talk.

"It just doesn't make any sense," he said, "he shouldn't have died."

[Pause]

He continued, "I'm escorting my friend home today."

I immediately realized that the coffin that was loaded on the plane in Detroit was this young man's fallen friend -- a fellow Sailor.

I listened for a while and then I thanked him for working hard to serve honorably as he and his fellow Sailors all accepted the risks and possibly the ultimate sacrifice that seems to come all too frequently.

When we landed in Salt Lake City late that night, the pilot announced that he would like to show proper respect by asking us to all wait while the body of the fallen soldier was unloaded under the watchful eye of his friend. We all sat in reverance and silence as the coffin was gently loaded onto a cart that was draped with an American Flag.

I went home with gratitude in my heart that I could hug my family.

Here is to the family and friends of the fallen Sailor . . .

When has recognition provided an opportunity for you to "see again?"

How Do You Encourage Engagement?

"More than 500 staff at Keihin Electric Express Railway in Japan are to be subjected to daily face scans by "smile police" bosses reports the Canadian paper "The Globe and Mail." Employees will be put through a facial scan that detects the quality of their smile and then they will receive immediate feedback on whether it is good enough. In fact, if their smile is found lacking, then the software will suggest "you still look too serious," and "lift up your mouth corners." Furthermore, "employees will receive a printout of their daily smile, which they will be expected to keep with them throughout the day to inspire them to smile at all times."

What are they thinking? Seriously.

Would you feel more engaged if you were treated this way at work?

Have you ever worked for a company that justified terrible behavior under the false banner of "engagement, loyalty, or collaboration?"

Unfortunately, we've probably all experienced some silly company policies that attempt to control and "encourage" our behavior. The truth is that it is insulting to everyone that is subject to these latest management fads (ironically, the executives that came up with the latest plans are often immune from the policies).

Maybe the real solution is too simple . . . or too hard . . . or simply too daring, courageous, or too unconventional, but let me put it out there anyway: TRUST, RESPECT, and RECOGNIZE.

TRUST that your employees will do right by you.

RESPECT them for their opinions and abilities.

RECOGNIZE that they are professional adults that simply want to achieve their dreams of a better life -- just like you.

You may be thinking, "What about those that abuse the trust? What about those that don't deserve respect or don't act like professional adults?"

My response: How much time to you spend worrying about the small percentage of non-performers as opposed to the amount of time you spend with your best producers? Are you losing great talent because you focus on the wrong things and maybe even the wrong people?

Come on! Instead of treating our employees like the latest lab experiement, let's make work a great place to be and our employees will naturally be more engaged and happy to be there.

Now that is something to smile about!