Warm, endearing stories and poems are often not part of an organizational culture. Business war stories of an individual or a team developing a hot product, working outrageous hours to please customers, or blazing new profitable markets are more often the stuff of corporate myths and legends.
What’s different now is that organizations are paying fabulous fees to hear warm, fuzzy and affirming stories of how people can make work more humane – to talk about things of the heart and soul.
Would these stories and approach work in your work place? The folks who brought you the Chicken Soup series of books are doing just that. Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen want to find and reinvigorate the sprit of the workplace by reading warm, compassionate stories to those who survived the continual transformation and downsizing wars.
‘Touchy and feely’ are in as companies promote inspiration and creativity. Companies can’t cut employees anymore since many cut to the bone. Many people feel cynical, dispirited and demoralized. What can be done? Why not have Chicken Soup consultants read uplifting stories about people overcoming adversity in life and at work. One story explains how a client empathized and reacted to finding a friend’s mother was dying of cancer.[i]
[i] Schellhardt, “Feeling Dispirited? Have Someone Read This Story to You,” Wall Street Journal, February 10. 1997, p. A1.