Excellence and Frivolity

Each Day, the Child Care Exchange sends out informational emails on the world of Early Childhood Development, Education and Professional Development, which I try to share with you. For more info, please see their website at www.childcareExchange.com.
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"Are you having fun? It's one of the best indicators of organizational vitality — yet we don't value it much." This is what Nancy Austin asserts in her book (authored with Tom Peters), A Passion for Excellence (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1989). She observes that one of the "8 tough lessons" in the pursuit of excellence is to "inject the frivolity factor":

"While most of us would like to work for (or be) the accessible, accountable enthusiast whose eyes light up when talking about a new product or service, it somehow doesn't seem right. When I was in graduate school, "fun" and "passion" weren't part of my business vocabulary. Instead, we were drilled in emotional detachment and control. And complicated busi ness terminology — instead of plain English — was held up as the preferred language of the professional manager.

"That kind of thinking puts a damper on the enthusiasm that should be part of a successful and well-run enterprise. A fun business atmosphere can cultivate customers as well as good ideas — so lighten up!"

One of the ways we “lighten up” here at Deaconess Children’s Services is through regular, free to in-expensive team building activities which include coffee team meetings, lunches, hiking trips and even the odd wintertime holiday shopping excursion. It gives us a chance to bond with one another, which helps make Deaconess a great place to work.