You Can Bank On It

We spent a large part of today at the bank.  Okay, that sounds insane, but a new bank opened by us today, and the opening day festivities were the best free entertainment we've had in a while.  There was music, and a dancing woman on stilts (who, I think, danced on stilts for four hours straight).  There were free hot dogs, and scratch and win cards (we didn't win money, but we now have enough squishy apples to take care of a LOT of stress!)  To top it all off, the neighboring office supply store joined in with all sorts of one dollar goodies.

And, as I often ask, why is this blogworthy?

I am sure the bank calculated the cost of its grand opening against the extra business it would get.  But, the truth is, no matter how calculated it may have been, it gave us a good feeling about that bank that will likely last a long time.  Meaning that, if many other people walked away feeling as we did, it was money well spent.

Making people think you appreciate them, whether by giving them praise or by giving them free stuff, tends to make for happy people.  I still smile when I put on one of the many pieces of show logo clothing I was given when I worked on Cosby.  And I still smile when someone totally gets what I do or gets what I have written, and thanks me for it.  The cost of appreciation may vary, but what it buys is almost always worth it.

Sometimes I wish I were a boss, so I could be the one in a position to give the appreciation.  When I worked in TV control rooms, I always announced the end of the day with, "That's it everybody.  Thanks very much." And though what I said was the same each night, perhaps as if pre-recorded, it was as sincere the last night as it had been the first.  Just as the bank worked to make sure people today walked away happy, I really did believe people should walk away happy after working hard all day.  And that walking away happy would mean walking back happy tomorrow.

So, someday, when I am a boss--whether in television or in cookie-making or in who-knows-what, I look forward to finding lots of ways to appreciate the people who make things work.  You can bank on it.