Inspiring Workplaces: Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Published: Wed, 01/25/17

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Humor at Work ISSUE 663 - Jan. 25, 2017
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      Won't You Be My Neighbor?
   
  I often speak and write about the need for everyone to behave like good neighbors at work, but what if you went one step further and turned your workplace into mini-neighborhoods? That's exactly what the consulting firm EKS & H has done with their 650-employee office in Denver, Colorado. Recognized as one of the best places to work in Denver, the accounting firm has gone out of its way to get their office environment right, with the belief that if you get the environment right, the right employees will want to work there. One of the ways they've done that is by subdividing all their offices (which are spaced out over seven floors) into neighborhoods.

Each neighborhood is given a nickname (such as Cellar Dwellers or Margaritaville) and uniquely decorated so it always feels like you are walking into a new "hood."  The neighborhoods create a sense of community, foster pride and ownership in everyone's work areas, foster friendly competition between different neighborhoods, and even encourage employees to occasionally pull fun pranks on their neighbors.
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    Mike's Fun at Work Tip
 
A fun way to force a change of perspective at your next brainstorming meeting is to try some "role-storming," where participants look at an issue from a different person's perspective. Several companies do this as a regular part of their brainstorming routine, some have even created cards so people can randomly select a role to play. The cards might include various random occupations, fictional characters or celebrities.
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    Quote of the Week
 

"Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town!" George Carlin
 
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    It's a Wacky World: Keep Smiling!
 
The National Post featured a summary of 2016's "Duh Studies" - study conclusions that seem rather obvious, such as...
  • Marijuana Makes Rats Lazy (good to know)
  • Pets Make People Happy
  • Higher Food Prices Causes People to Shop Differently
  • Millennials Can't Afford Homes in Vancouver (I'm fairly certain most boomers can't either)
  • Sex Ed is Awkward for High School Students!
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Cost-Savings to Bring Mike in to Speak
Okanagan: "I need to see Mom" special rate on-going! (50% savings!)
Saskatoon: March 3 (50% off!)
Florida, July 2-9 (50% extra!)



More Reading
Mike is quoted in the Forbes article: 14 Things You Should Do at the END of Every Work Day


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