Thursday, January 11, 2007

Need a LOT to celebrate and LITTLE to get upset

Another one of my pet peeves… personally I get upset over anything and everything. If I stub my toe I get upset, if I can’t find my sock I get upset, if I wake up late I get upset, can’t find those keys I get upset, in short a lot of stupid reasons! The same is not true of celebration though? Hardly ever do I celebrate the opposites. Had a great day at work… that’s no reason to celebrate? Cooked a great meal, so what? Came up with a creative idea, no biggie? Getting promoted is different or finding something I really want to do does get some attention.

What a shame… I am not suggesting lowering standards or dreaming small by any stretch but the one thing I learnt from my muse was celebrating those small wins. Here is how it all happened… I was training my little pup, who is absolutely a genius but I wasn’t celebrating her wins. I taught her the classics ‘Canine American Companion’ would (I was told it is PC to say that, versus a dog owner), the high five, hand shake, hugs, kisses, etc. Each time we progressed she got a treat, celebrating those wins. But on the same front other acts were ignored… her restraint in dragging my blazer every morning, chewing my shoe, restraining to do her business inside the house. I bet she thinks it was too cliché now. The same is true of organizations in corporate America.

Life is too short; organizations need same food for their souls so CELEBRATE! Once again that’s not to say the fundamentals shouldn’t be solid.