I've always been fascinated by situations where art imitates real life and right here is a perfect example, which links Christmas and business & personal development.
If you want to read about a serious piece of dodgy people management (bordering on potential litigation); a man all adrift with the world and himself; shown how to do it by three visionary experiences (and with a brilliant example of supportive team-building thrown in); and then the ultimate Christmas 'shift'? These are all brilliantly described for your pleasure in a seasonal read of 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens.
Here, Dickens brings out all of these wonderful examples and takes us through the life of Scrooge, ending in an exemplary and joyful outcome for a guy whose life is changed for the better, forever (despite years and years of baggage).
From an opening of how not to treat your 'team' ('You'll be wanting a whole (Christmas) day (off) tomorrow, I suppose?' - and I particularly like the image of the poor clerk keeping warm with a candle!); through the solitary Christmas Eve meal; surviving the initial appearance of Jacob Marley as his front door knocker (what is the light given out by a 'bad lobster in a dark cellar'?), the reader then experiences Scrooge taken through great examples of coaching by visits from the three 'ghosts' ? exploring, in turn, his lost childhood, an example of how to really motivate and celebrate with your team of employees (the wonderful 'boss' Fezziwig) - and an understanding of what you may miss in your life if you don't act now. Spot the analogies for yourself in a read that will take you a mere afternoon by a cosy fire - maybe with some mulled wine thrown in!
And once you've considered this Dickens novel, how many other works of fiction could be considered part of the Coaches' world?
I've found over the years, through my love of reading, that there are many people skills issues highlighted or to be construed from the world of fiction (not forgetting film ? what brilliant management skills metaphors in 'A Bugs Life' or how to motivate an unruly bunch as Mel Gibson did in 'Braveheart', to name but a couple). In almost every book you read, or film you watch, if you look out for the broader context, there are riches to behold. Many of these are worth enjoying and where appropriate, sharing with colleagues and friends, just to put another angle on a situation.
Do have a break and enjoy 'A Christmas Carol' at this seasonal time of year - oh yes, and have a great holiday too!
Enjoy the book and feel free to let me know of any other examples you might care to share that I'd want to read myself!
Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com a>
"Can This Marriage be Saved?" So reads the title of... Read More
Introduction"High performing HR function affects bottom line nearly 10%"- A... Read More
Many entrepreneurs and chief executive officers are unaware that there... Read More
Communicate! Don't leave you key stakeholders guessing.We are generally not... Read More
Decision-making shows up throughout the problem-solving process. The decisions may... Read More
1) Use a live instructor. Adults learn best by doing,... Read More
Some interviewers ask great questions; others ask dumb questions; and,... Read More
The challenge of managing difficult managers can be rather daunting,... Read More
The term crisis management has different connotations. In this article,... Read More
Do this simple excercise, and transform your life.First, Make a... Read More
Sooner or later, most business owners need to look for... Read More
A core activity in many successful businesses, Succession Planning is... Read More
I recently gave a presentation to a group of business... Read More
Meetings can be like mythical vampires ? sucking the life... Read More
Globalization is requiring companies to make important choices about how... Read More
I saw Brian Kerr (the Irish national football coach) on... Read More
Putting a piece of paper in a file folder is... Read More
Office politics! It's just another way of saying: "The employees... Read More
Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management, or TQM, has become one... Read More
Unhappy as Jenny undoubtedly was, she held on very tightly... Read More
What happens when a Project Manager asks one of his... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Mary Poppins describes a style of management which has for... Read More
Creativity measurement is often required in order to benchmark existing... Read More
It's been a pretty good weekend around the place -... Read More
Let me tell you a secret.Things don't always go the... Read More
The phrase "turning ideas into action" is a Russian doll.Managing... Read More
DECIDING WHAT TO DELEGATE: Once the benefits of delegation are... Read More
Starting up a new venture or business can be one... Read More
Recruiting and hiring are often done in haste, leaving the... Read More
In the last few years a lot has been written... Read More
Nobody's perfect, including the boss. Managers, we polled recently, acknowledged... Read More
Imagine the following scenario - you pay a visit to... Read More
Many concepts in the fields of managing creativity are very... Read More
Certain processes enhance creative output and others enhance innovative output.... Read More
(prez.un.TEE.iz.um) nPresenteeism, a relatively unknown concept, is the complement of... Read More
Hiring good employees is not only important to business, it's... Read More
We all have been in meetings with certain people who... Read More
There is every chance that elements of this article may... Read More
Most people think real change in an organization occurs as... Read More
How Companies Are Like FamiliesLike a family, a company is... Read More
1) Where is the agenda? A meeting without an agenda... Read More
Tis' the season for business and corporate gift-giving! If you... Read More
It's easy enough to convince your own staff that better... Read More
You can't solve a problem with the... Read More
All small to mid-sized company owners want to know where... Read More
Here's a productivity tip that will save you a lot... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
If you're one of the many executives struggling with finding... Read More
What really amazes me, with all the personal and professional... Read More
Business Management Business Management |