"Insanity"

Do you know the definition of insanity? Most people would say that a person who is insane is crazy. I heard of another definition, one that is humorous but so true: insanity means doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We can all relate to the second definition, because we have all been there. It is like a person that goes to McDonald's and orders a Big Mac, a large order of fries, and a diet Coke! Now that is "insane"...... just go ahead and order a regular Coke!

Part of the purpose of this blog is to get all of us thinking differently about valuing our employees. We need to not only value them in our minds, but we need to do something about it. Many organizations do a great job in this area, yet others don't. For example, the president of an organization goes to a conference and hears a world-class motivational speaker talk about employee recognition. This speaker even gives specific examples of how to recognize employees. The executive is all fired-up about the speech. He/she comes back to work and is ready to make some major culture changes. He/she meets with the management team-everyone becomes excited. However, two weeks later the excitement is gone-they are back to where they were before the seminar. (Most of you have seen this happen).

Why does culture change not last? It is very simple-it is usually because senior management does not see the value in improving the company's culture via paying more attention to the employees. He/she fails to see that improving a company's culture is the fastest and most effective way to increase productivity and profit. If management does not understand this, they are "living in the 1950's." Effective twenty first century management means really understanding that the most important asset in every organization is the employees.

I have been writing about using thank-you notes as one way to recognize employees. I have also given some examples of how people respond in positive ways to recognition. I have written about how appreciating your employees increases productivity and profits. In the next several posts ,I will be giving a number of specific ways to improve your workplace culture for the long haul. Let's get rid of "insanity" in the workplace once and for all-lets focus more on our workforce-lets revolutionize your company's culture together.