Life with a thousand hurrahs

Recycling Today, Sept, 2004 by Brian Taylor

The saying "death by a thousand cuts" is often used to describe the slow accumulation of setbacks, minor defeats and insults that can accompany a terrible situation. Unfortunately, most of us have probably been trapped at one time or another in a situation that brings this concept to mind.

Somewhat of a counter-current to this concept is the one championed by those who call for random acts of kindness from themselves and their fellow citizens. Proponents of this thinking believe that kindness, courtesy and selfless thinking can all get a boost if we consistently or even occasionally chip in to brighten someone else's day.

It is questionable to what extent positive thinking advice can turn around a bad professional or personal situation. But workplace managers, of all people, should certainly be aware of how positive energy can create a mood in an office or a plant where people feel they are doing something worthwhile and meaningful. Conversely, it is generally agreed that negative feelings and attitudes soon create a workplace where resumes and escape plans are a higher priority than chipping in to help reach corporate goals.

The difficult task can often be establishing a genuine culture of positive reinforcement and encouragement. Inspirational speakers and their accompanying programs probably still have a place, but employers must by now be aware that few figures are satirized and poked fun at more than the hired-gun motivational speaker. (The late Chris Farley's Matt Foley character has bequeathed several successors since the days when he implored his listeners to beware of ending up "in a trailer ... down by the river.")

As contrite as it sounds, genuine encouragement and positive reinforcement comes from the heart and is rarely part of a formal program with a wall chart or scorecard. Management textbooks that may cover employee incentive programs, performance reviews and probation programs for troubled employees may offer very little advice about the value of non-programmatic efforts to say "thank you" and "great job."

The ability to retain an attitude of thanking and encouraging employees, suppliers and vendors can carry over to the same appreciation for restaurant servers, cleaning staff and others encountered throughout the hectic pace of business life. Whether one chooses to see this as a spreading of the "thousand points of light" philosophy or as a way of "putting people first," bipartisan support for genuine, heartfelt appreciation makes good business sense.

Economists poll consumer attitudes as a key method of gauging future economic health. It is not far-fetched to assume that a poll of workplace attitudes can be an important gauge of the future health of a given workplace. Your business may already be on its way to either suffering death by a thousand cuts or to being uplifted by life with a thousand "hurrahs."