Great comments

The best thing about writing this blog, are all the great comments it gets. As the blog gets more and more popular (and it’s totally getting out of hand right now, I love it), it seems that I get more and more great ideas, feedback, thoughts, input. Here are a few of my favorite recent comments.

Mack asked why we want to be happy at work at all and a great conversation ensued, including this comment:

I’ve seen businesses make drastic moves and have a groundswell of support from the employees regardless of the sacrifices they endure. I’ve seen businesses throw goodies at employees and they still complain. What it’s about is trust, and it’s more than just having an HR slogan of “we will be trustworthy???. The problem is that corporations don’t want people working for them, they want human resources. Trust?

If you’re arguing to make corporations see the bottom line from the long term picture (by promoting trust and human decency towards employees), you’re fighting the entire history of business in this country, buddy. Good luck!
– Jeremy

Yes that is exactly what we’re up against – about 200-300 years of tradition for doing the opposite. Call me an optimist, but I really believe that us happy people are so much more efficient and creative that we are the ones who will define the future of business.

I wrote a post about why happines at work does not mean coddling employees. Frank had a poetic reply:

It’s like removing valleys that make the mountains disappear.
It’s like shortening the marathon..
It’s like a lottery with a money-back guarantee.
It’s like a sponge hammer that won’t hurt you when hitting your fingers.
– Frank Schophuizen

Exactly!

A.M. Starkin’s latest entry is about getting people to buy into some much-needed changes. Here’s one thought:

A dysfunctional team can’t be fixed over night. Use the energy of those who are willing, and once others start seeing results and improvements, they’ll either get on board, or they’ll stay in your way, but if you’re always showing that you really on their side, and want to help, then they should come around.

The comment “My seniors have all adviced me to use fear as motivation??? made me laugh. It sounds like a number of people are already on their way out, and putting the fear of getting fired/laid off over their heads probably won’t motivate them. It’s one thing to say that people need to get their acts together at this time when you’re looking at turning the team around and the business you’re in, but make sure that doesn’t come off as, “do what I say, or else??? because that’ll only make people more disgruntled.
-MyNameIsMatt

I agree. This process is an invitation, meaning you can invite people to come along, but you can’t push them.

Thanks for all the great comments, people. I can’t begin to tell you how much I’m learning and how much I’m enjoying this.