Why aren't businesses more fun?

Or why humour can drive profits

So there I was checking the catering before the passengers came on board, when I heard shouting and a few choice words from the first class cabin.

I ran to the front to find the Captain covered in tea, looking ghostly white with just the noise of the empty cup rattling in the saucer.  As I turned to look where his eyes were staring I could see our Purser curled up in the hat rack looking rather pleased with himself.

Marching Orders

Redundancy and Perspective

Whilst running a seminar a few days ago a worried looking woman came up to me in the break and told me about her husband John.

John went into work a few weeks ago as usual.  He sat at his desk and logged on to find an email from his boss who wanted to see him at 10.00 that morning.  John grabbed a coffee at 09.50 and went into his boss’s office at 10.00.  By 10.20 security escorted him back to his desk.  He put his personal belongings in a box, handed over his office keys and ID to the security chap who was standing vigilant and found himself out on the pavement by 10.35.

"You're rubbish at that." "Yeh, but it's not my fault."

Accountability at Work

The other day I was visiting a client’s office and sat in a waiting area near the kitchen.  As I waited I could hear people talking and one conversation went something like this:

“There’s no point him having a go at me, it wasn’t my fault we missed a deadline.”

“I know, he had a go at me too.  I didn’t know there was a problem with the client, it’s not my job to know everything.”

“Exactly, I’ve a good mind to speak to his boss, but he won’t do anything anyway.”

Both these people spent their break pointing the finger and blaming others.  Do you hear this in your office?