The Blossoming of a Workplace Drone Change (Gasp!) Can (Gasp!) Be Fun Achieving the Flow of Great Performance A Face-to-Face Encounter with Differences A World of Civility: 15 Ways to Wage Kindness Starting Now A Lesson from Mongolia: Do What You Can Leaving a Bright Legacy The Case for Slowing Down When Fear Strikes the Workplace Competition: As American as Apple Pie? An Ageless Question from Kindergarten Lessons from a Principled Leader Refreshing Lessons in Empowerment Making Music with a Great Teacher How to Create Your Own Kitty Hawk Some Choice Words on Management by Slogan The Soft Side of a Steel Company The Problem With Know-It-Alls Civility At Work: 20 Ways to Build a Kinder Workplace In Praise of Workplace Cynicism Learning Respect in the Arizona Desert Timeless Wisdom from My 104-Year-Old Friend I'm Important, You're Important, We're All Important Going to a Boring Meeting? Take This Column Taking the Time for Dialogue Pop Culture Meets the Workplace Individuality at Work Ring in the New Year with Old Year Reflections Creating a Flexible Workplace The Challenge of "Challenge"
	. Pop Culture Meets the Workplace (and It Ain't Pretty) by Tom Terez The tube and screen have a lot to say about work and workplaces. Join me as I sprint into that minefield known as "making some casual observations about our popular culture." You, Yourself, and Your Workplace If you value political correctness, you might want to skip Jim Carey's flick "Me, Myself, and Irene." It tells the story of a Rhode Island State Trooper (played by Carey, in all his rubber-faced glory) who turns the other cheek again and again and again -- until one day he runs out of cheeks and splits into two personalities. It isn't pretty. If you saw the movie and recall the lawn scene (who could forget?), you know exactly what I'm talking about. I've interviewed hundreds of people about their work and workplaces, and I'm somewhat relieved that I've never crossed paths with someone like Carey. But I have seen countless organizations that seem afflicted with an Everything Is Fine Culture. Maybe you've seen it yourself. Feelings get buried, concerns get pushed aside, worries get covered up -- all to maintain a certain wave-free calm throughout the workplace. It probably starts in our early years, when kids are encouraged to stop crying and put on a happy face. Don't get me wrong, I'm not calling for seas of tears or, god forbid, any lawn scenes. But can we please have some honest to goodness workplace dialogue to uncover what's really on our minds? Everything is not fine, and the only shame is in denying it. Someone's Watching When it comes to TV, my latest eye-rolling has been prompted by a show called "Survivor." It's about an ever-shrinking group of people who've been thrown together on the Pacific island of Pulau Tiga. Each week the cast votes off their least-liked co-castaway. The whole spectacle is caught by several roving cameras, so people can sit back at home and watch through their electronic windows. And we're talking about a lot of people. The show on July 19 had 26.1 million viewers -- the top ratings spot for that week. One of every eight adult Americans had their eyes on "Survivor." The show's suburban equivalent, "Big Brother," drew 11.3 million observers. It makes you wonder: Is there a growing Bystander Culture in our workplaces? Is there a tendency to sit back, to watch, to talk about the goings-on, to remain passive, to live our lives through other people? Perhaps we need to seize the alternative, which is to wade onto the proverbial Pulau Tiga ourselves, to get our hands dirty, to take some risks, to be a part of the action. Who Wants to be a Farmer? Of course, when it comes to pop culture, the elephant in the TV room is surely "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." That same week when "Survivor" posted its colossal ratings, three installments of the quiz show pulled more than 20 million viewers. A competing show noteworthy for its no-excuses name, "Greed," drew its own droves. The connection to our organizations? Well, you tell me. Is there an Instant Results Culture in your workplace? Do people shoot for those ten quick correct answers, that winning ticket, or that speedy success -- instead of going about things the "hard" and much surer way? Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, uses farming as a metaphor to show how great harvests require alignment with principles and a true constancy of purpose. It's hardly a flashy metaphor, but it conveys reality so much better than the bright lights and big bucks of "Millionaire." ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tom Terez is a speaker, workshop leader, and author of the book "22 Keys to Creating a Meaningful Workplace." Visit him online at BetterWorkplaceNow.com and TomTerez.com. To contact Tom, use the online form. Copyright 2002 Tom Terez. All rights reserved. Want to REPRINT this article? Click here! At your workplace or conference: Presentations and Workshops Home | Insight and Inspiration | Laugh and Learn | Talks and Workshops | Meet Tom Terez Free E-Letter | Gold Key Access | Online Desk Reference | Contact Copyright 1998-2006 Tom Terez Workplace Solutions Inc. P.O. Box 21444, Columbus, Ohio USA 43221-0444. Tel. 614-571-9529..Online Contact Form BetterWorkplaceNow.com, Better Workplace Now, and 22 Keys to a Meaningful Workplace are trademarks of Tom Terez Workplace Solutions Inc. Privacy Policy: We respect your privacy, and we know that you're too busy for unwanted e-mails. E-mail addresses and other information you provide through this site will never be sold, rented, or shared with any third parties, except in the event that this Web site is acquired by another company.