You recognize the signs and symptoms when company morale
starts to plummet – employees shuffle into work like marionettes, pulled
only by a string of survival needs. People are showing up late, or not at
all, and new ideas are harder to find than Saddam’s weapons of mass
destruction. Sometimes an outrageous interruption of an emerging negative
pattern is imperative to revitalize the work force. Enter the “pattern
interrupt.”
On
March 19, 1998, the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team was sold by the
beloved O’Malley family to corporate predator Rupert Murdoch. Named that
year by Sports Business Journal as baseball’s most successful organization
during the 20th century, the Dodgers were a paragon of “family values”
as an organization, a very close knit group. It was understandable that
everyone in the organization had a massive let down when Murdoch’s
marauders usurped the helm. A friend of mine worked in the Dodgers’ public
relations department, and informed me of how demoralized they were because
of the change. Being a Dodger fan and good friend, I faxed over to him the
following news memo parody just to interrupt the pattern and bring back some
levity to his staff:
Rupert Murdoch Acquires The Catholic Church Vatican City.
At a press conference today in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced
that Rupert Murdoch will acquire the Roman Catholic Church in exchange for
common stock shares in his media empire. If the deal is approved, it will be
the first time a media mogul has acquired a major world religion. Pope John
Paul II will become Senior Vice President of the company’s new religion
division. “We anticipate tremendous growth in the religious
telecommunications market for the next decade,” said Mr. Murdoch. “The
additional resources of the Catholic Church will allow us to make religion
easier and more accessible for a wider audience of people. Through our
telecommunications systems, we will make the sacraments available via
satellite for the first time. Through new interactive media, you can confess
your sins, obtain absolution, and reduce your time in purgatory, all without
leaving the comfort of your own home.” Mr. Murdoch added that he intends
to give the church a racier look for broad public appeal.
According to my friend, the memo made its way around the
office and reinstated the family spirit. They resolved to maintain
solidarity in the face of any changes that were not deemed beneficial to the
organization. Sometimes you have to do something that is a bit “over the
top” to break a negative pattern and regain perspective. Go Dodgers!
Terry Braverman is a Los Angeles-based author,
professional speaker and trainer. This article is excerpted from his book,
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Lighten Up! Go to Terry’s web site
for more about his presentations and background: www.terrybraver man.com
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