Excellence and Frivolity

07/12/2010

Treat people as though they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of being.
Goethe

"Are you having fun? It's one of the best indicators of organizational vitality — yet we don't value it much."

This is what Nancy Austin asserts in her book (authored with Tom Peters), A Passion for Excellence (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1989). She observes that one of the "8 tough lessons" in the pursuit of excellence is to "inject the frivolity factor":

"While most of us would like to work for (or be) the accessible, accountable enthusiast whose eyes light up when talking about a new product or service, it somehow doesn't seem right. When I was in graduate school, "fun" and "passion" weren't part of my business vocabulary. Instead, we were drilled in emotional detachment and control. And complicated business terminology — instead of plain English — was held up as the preferred language of the professional manager.

"That kind of thinking puts a damper on the enthusiasm that should be part of a successful and well-run enterprise. A fun business atmosphere can cultivate customers as well as good ideas — so lighten up!"

More Fun — Out of Box Kits on Sale

Run a professional development training session with Exchange's popular Out-of-the-Box Training Kits. An article from Exchange magazine serves as the foundation for each Kit and is included as a handout. Each kit includes step-by-step instructions to prepare, conduct, and evaluate your training session. The kits are also flexible enough to allow you to include your own ideas and exercises to meet any special needs of your staff. And, this week, online Kits are on sale at a 20% discount. The 60+ Out of the Box Kits provide training opportunities in the following areas:

Health and Safety (7 kits)
Curriculum Development and Implementation (15 kits)
Environments (6 kits)
Family Partnerships (5 kits)
Professionalism (1 kit)
Early Care and Education (8 kits)
Infants and Toddlers (3 kits)
Observation, Assessment, and Documentation (4 kits)
Positive Discipline (12 kits)

Free Webinar!

Preschool Programs with Two or More Languages by Karen Nemeth, M.Ed. The first in a series sponsored by Robert-Leslie Publishing. 7/21/10 - Register Now!

Shop summer for your school.

Find everything you need, all in one place, all online.

ChildCareMarketplace.com

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.