Fargo move This morning I had to pick up my Holter Monitor. I had a little heart “episode” a few weeks ago and the doctor just wanted to get a good picture of 24 hours in the Life of Rich’s Heart.
The monitor is smaller than a cell phone with wires that attach to your chest. You wear it in a little pouch. The pouch is made of some gauze-like cotton material and it gets tied around your chest, neck and torso. As the technician was securing the pouch to me another tech walked in to the room. She made a comment “Ah, you’re getting all strapped in.”
To which I responded, “Yes, but leather would have been much more fun.”
She laughed and thanked me for starting the week off on a positive note. The tech securing me started to explain how uncomfortable that would be, how heavy it would be and would probably cause itching.
The first tech rolled her eyes. I held in my laughter; thinking maybe she just had a dry sense of humor.
As I was leaving I asked the first tech if her counterpart really did not get my joke.
“Oh, joking is not a part of her world” I was told.
Laughter, joking and fun can be a part of every business, whether you work for an amusement park, a parts manufacturer, a hospital or a funeral home. I still believe that laughter is the best medicine. Do you?
Thursday is Recess At Work Day. Was talking with a client the other day and she was sharing how some people believe they should not participate in fun and games; even when the Division President and the Global VP HR have approved the event. They are calling it a Recess for Innovation or Play for Innovation. They are using Recess At Work Day as an opportunity to stimulate the creativity in the organization. Now of course I am bias but I think this is a great idea.
Gates of Heaven rip Maybe those who think they shouldn’t go innovate should go commiserate with my cardiac tech?
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Shocked. Amazed. Stunned. That’s what I am today.
Okay, I’m really not. Saddened and pissed are more the words.
Heck, forget saddened. I’m PISSED!!!
Recently I took a moment out of my day to write (with pen) a note to a Global VP of Human Resources. It was to recognize the talents and commitment of several of the company employees. I purchased a stamp and walked it out to my mailbox. I still believe in good ole fashioned means of connecting at times.
River Queen movie Closer dvd Today I was having a discussion with one of those employees. My relationship with her is such that I told her what I did and asked if her boss ever said anything.
Nope.
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Surveillance video In a time when employees are seeking recognition (they’re not getting pay raises and promotions) would it have been so hard for this VP to mention the nice words that came across her desk. You’re in the same building. You see these people on a regular basis. And you say nothing?
Do you see why I am pissed?
For Immediate Release
Wolcott, CT June 10, 2009
Contact: Rich DiGirolamo 203.879.5970 rich@RichDiGirolamo.com Rat Race trailer
Want to Increase Employee Morale and Engage Employees? Think About Taking a Recess on June 18th
Healthier employees perform better, innovate better, and work better as a team. June 18th is an opportunity for employees and employers to take a break from the stress of today’s economic worries and celebrate their successes. June 18th is Recess At Work Day.
It has been proven that breaks are essential for satisfaction. But what does this mean to an employer? Well according to Rich DiGirolamo, Founder of Recess At Work Day, it’s simple……..Breaks lead to satisfaction; and satisfaction easily transfers to increase morale, reduced employee stress, more engaged and healthier employees; ultimately having a positive impact on productivity, absenteeism and profits. Now in its 6th year; Recess At Work Day is the perfect complement to any Health and Wellness or Employee Engagement Initiative..
Tiffany Metzler of the Mechanicsburg, PA School District had the following to say. “The district wellness committee decided to implement Recess at Work Day this year. It is important for our district staff to continue to strengthen relationships and have some fun at the end of the school year. This picnic will allow the staff to come together for some teambuilding, using a proven fun and games approach. What’s better than fun and games to celebrate team success!”
Alvin and the Chipmunks movies Years ago DiGirolamo was part of a team in need of reducing stress and chaos during a data center conversion. Long hours, project setbacks, and negative reactions to change were just some of the challenges. To alleviate some the chaos, lunch got replaced with a short walk to Rye Playland (Rye, NY) and a couple of trips on the Dragon Coaster. Remembering the benefit of those breaks from the norm, DiGirolamo, now a professional speaker, presenting Employee Morale and Engagement Programs, founded Recess At Work Day as a complement to already existing employee wellness, morale and engagement initiatives. Past and present participants include GE Capital, Covidien, Iroquois Pipeline, WorksafeBC and Community Options. A visit to the Recess At Work Day website reveals it has been a big hit with big and small companies alike.
So how does one celebrate Recess At Work Day? It’s simple says DiGirolamo. “There are no rules. Just take a break from the daily work routine and engage in something fun. The possibilities are endless. Spend some time learning a foreign language with your peers. Engage in a fun communications or creativity exercise as an exercise in innovation. Rewrite the Employee Handbook – humorously. These are some of the examples offered by DiGirolamo. Keep it cheap or spend lots he says. But he does warn that this has to be a piece of a bigger Employee Wellness program
So only one question remains…….Is it Recess yet? Almost; June 18th is fast approaching.
For more information about Recess At Work Day, or to schedule an interview with Rich DiGirolamo, call 203.879.5970 or visit www.recessatworkday.com
So I am a professional speaker. Some call me motivational speaker. Some call me consultant. Some call me The Big Kid, Mr. Fun and a host of other names.
There are some people in my world who make their entire living training, coaching and consulting other speakers on how to be better. There is even a joke within the professional association to which I belong as to how many members we would actually have if we removed the ones who were making most of their money selling to other speakers.
Orphan dvdrip But here is where I am confused. If someone is so great why are they not booked solid? Why do they need to make money making other people great? And lately I am getting more and more invitations from more and more of my peers who are going to help me be better. Seems to me that everyone is not booked solid and is starting a speaker school or consulting business of some sort – targeted at the 3,000+ members.
So as I continue to work hard getting booked to speak they’re working hard to sell to me. Maybe they should work hard on getting booked too? That’s my advice to them – and it is free; not $1,999
So a couple each buys a Lexus. (sorry GM, Ford and Chrysler; they told me they had no faith.)
Have they know bought Lexii? Luxuses? Lexus’s? Or do they own two Lexus?
What is the plural of Lexus?
And what are The Big 3 Automakers doing to restore faith?
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So I broke down; I got the Blackberry. I said I wouldn’t do it; mainly because of the behaviors I have observed by those who possess these devices.
Now for my friends who are about to read further, please read this with the humor that is intended; it is not a dig at you but a learning for me (okay, maybe a learning for you too). After watching years of Crackberry Addiction and doing my best to avoid it I have come up with my Blackberry Pledge.
As a new owner of a Blackberry, I, Rich DiGirolamo,
Well I think that is a good start. Oh and for those of you who now know I have this device; this is ample warning that I will not be returning your call/text/email in a nanosecond; as I will not be glued to it. I’m hoping to still be glued to great conversation with stimulating fun people in a face-to-face environment.
Note: If you view me breaking these rules you have the right to figure out a way to keep my mind off of such device.
Saturday night I received a text message from my friend Jimmy. Could I bus tables at his restaurant on Mother’s Day?
My mom was away and I was heading home from a funeral. Caught off guard I said yes. I have never in my life been a busboy; but I’m always up for a new experience. I spoke to Jim on the phone and mentioned he must be desperate if he is asking me. We both chuckled. He also needed one or two more people as he wanted to give the regular busgirls the day off to celebrate Mother’s Day. I found him two more people. See, it’s all about networking and who you know.
The Sicilian dvd I’ll admit I am exhausted when I present a full day program, but this manual labor thing really hurt – and a lot! That evening and the next morning I felt like Dr. House as I was popping pills to make the pain go away.
We started the day with a team meeting. All the servers were told that 15% of their tips would go to the bus staff and $8 per person to the salad kid.
Woo-Hoo!! I yelled. No one found it amusing. I did. I was there to have a good time. And this thing about the bus person being seen but not heard………………. That certainly wasn’t going to happen.
So Michelle, Adrian and I busted our butts for 7 hours. None of us had done this type of work before. The compliments we were getting from the customers and the staff were all positive – even when I spilled water on the lady. I was laughing with people; one even asked if I was the owner as I was being so attentive.
When tip time came around four of the seven waiters handed over what was probably 15% or more. Three of the staff stiffed us and took off out the door. Big Time.
The Restaurant Manager was looking out for us and did ask what we were given from each person. We told her. The ones who remained were horrified by their teammates actions. One even talked about the hypocrisy of a waiter stiffing the busboy when he or she knows what it is like to be stiffed by a customer.
Michelle and I were cool with this. We did this to help out a friend. Adrian on the other hand got a first look at how and why people who work on the same team often end up not liking one another.
Rich & Gail with Al & Ruth (center) from North Carolina.
We picked them up on Broadway in Nashville; asked to take a group picture. They said yes. I love fun people.
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Walking the streets of Nashville today I came upon the friendliest people. But we always knew that people in the South are friendly. Now being a Northerner I know there is also a sentiment that people from the South are stupid.
Well when this nice man said hello today I replied with a “How’s your day going.”
To which his response was “Better than I think it is.”
I stopped to talk to him. I asked him to explain his comment.
He explained it to me with an example. He said lets just say I’m thinking my day is going great and then I go into my pocket and find a quarter. It just got better.
I smiled, shook his hand, told him I love his attitude and walked away. Walking down the street I thought to myself maybe these people in the South are a lot smarter than Northerners give them credit for.
And then I was stopped dead in my tracks by this:
I won’t even tell you how far back down the street I had to go.
It was clear that the cruise ship I was on was not going to Cozumel last week. (That Swine Flu Thing)
How did I know?
- Could it be that we left Key West at 1:00 and at 4:00 the sun was behind the ship rather than above it or in front of it?
- Could it be that the little ship positioning arrow on the TV Channel in my cabin was somewhere off the east coast of Florida rather than somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico?
So I did what every Smart Alec would do; I walked over to the Information Desk and shared my information with them. I commented that it is clear we are not going to Cozumel and asked where we were going. To which the young man answered me that no information has been released yet and the captain had not yet made the determination if we were or were not going to Mexico.
Okay, let’s get real here. First of all, I highly doubt that decision was the Captain’s decision, but that of the top leaders at Carnival Cruise Lines. Second, you and I both know we are not going to Mexico even with evidence and you still deny it, because that is what you’re supposed to do – not break the chain of command and say something that you are not authorized to say.
So instead of breaking the chain of command, the Captain and the top leaders make you look misinformed and get you frustrated. I just don’t get it. Leaders need to realize that your front line is frustrated with the slowness or lack of information – especially when the information is clear to your customer.
Was this really a top secret decision? Okay, maybe the leaders didn’t know where we were going, but they knew we were not going to Mexico; and a lot the passengers knew it too. (Now of course there were the one or two crazies that were wiling to risk going to Mexico.) So instead of disseminating this information, any information, you leave the customer in suspense and your front line looking clueless.
Attention leaders!!!! Your team really does want to support you and do a good job. But sometimes you have to do a better job than you’re doing. Holding information is not power. Information is only power when everyone receives it. Everyone.
