One-Minute Mangler

Going through mail this morning at my Milwaukee client’s, I came across these inspirational suggestions from a management newsletter, in an article entitled Make recognizing employees part of your daily routine:



  • Add the names of people who report to you to your list of goals to accomplish.  Then cross off names as you praise them.
  • Use voice mail: Rather than using it only to assign tasks, leave employees voice mail messages praising them for a job well done.  Do it from your cellular phone on the way home.
  • At the beginning of the day, put five coins in your pocket.  then, during the day, each time you praise an employee, transfer a coin to your other pocket.

You’d have to have the personality of firewood if you needed cornball shit like this to maintain professional relationships.  Another article is entitled Four Ways To Reward Employees Without Spending Any Money.  ‘Nuff said.  And one more, Model Your Work Team After A Flock Of Geese includes the following parable:



When the nature of the work changes, the geese reorganize themselves for the best results.  They fly in a “V”, land in waves and feed in fours.  WTF???


I read these to the accounting department just to let them know what to expect from me this week.  I can already feel the energy out there.