Motivational Technique of Effective Leaders…Celebrate What You Can’t Fix

May 14, 2008

“IF YOU CAN’T FIX IT, FEATURE IT!”

—Sir Ernest Shackleton

When faced with pending tragedy or sudden difficulties that could demoralize the team, effective leaders can decide instead to celebrate! This motivational technique of creating events can foster joy, gratitude, humor or hope.

That’s right! Decide to feature or celebrate what you can’t fix or what won’t go away immediately . . . things like:

A new computer system (let’s say its called SWATS) driving people nuts.
Construction going on in your working areas or on local streets.
The worst month in history.
Taking a time-consuming inventory.
The busiest month ever—people exhausted.
Merging with another organization and the ensuing turf wars.

You get the point! Its stuff that occurs that will someday go away or be softened eventually by time. But right now it’s a difficult, disruptive situation.

So, “Feature It!” Brag about it! Celebrate it! Make it funny! Show you know what’s going on and that you appreciate their frustrations and concerns. Go for humor if you can. For the six examples above:

Create T-shirts for everyone: “I survived SWATS.” Or make a new acronym for the thing—like, SWATS really means “System We’ll All Treasure Someday.”
Construction mess, dirt and inconveniences. Issue your team hard hats and hammers and say, “Let’s help those construction workers,” or, “Let’s find out where they live and go mess up their homes!”
After a devastating month, throw a party! Call it a “Misery Bash.” Vow to never ever let that happen again and celebrate the fact that it’s over!
Taking inventory can be so time-consuming and stressful. How about making T-shirts with “WWWD” on one side, and on the back, “What Would Walter Do?” (“Walter” being your controller or head bean counter, who would count everything and do it right.)
People working 12-14-16 hour days, exhausted? Buy some cheap camping cots, blankets and pillows, eye shades and ear plugs. Set them up in your offices and put a sign up — “Rest area for the best team.”
A merger can be traumatic, so make it fun. Have a wedding! Select a bride from one organization and a groom from the other. Have a ceremony. Write vows. Pledge to stay together in good times and bad. Then have a big Wedding Reception!