Do you like your job so much you want to sing about it?

This is a question to ask yourself. This young man enjoys his work making and tempering fudge so much that he was singing about fudge.  It sounded like an improvised blues song, which since he was singing in New Orleans was appropriate.

People may look at you if you sing about your work in a library (and I know some childrens/young adult staff may be able to get away with it), but the point is not so much about singing as asking do you look like you enjoy your work?  A better question is do you actually enjoy your work?

Are you conveying enthusiasm as well as you are conveying your amazing effective library skills?

Workplaces, stories and creativity

I recently read Sunken treasure by Wil Wheaton.  The whole book is an amazing read, but I just want to focus on part of it, the Criminal minds production diary.  This account provides some great ideas about what makes an effective, high performance, creative and enjoyable workplace.  This chapter highlights the importance of teamwork, collaboration, creativity, openness, generosity, respect, organization and fun.  The success of television programs like Criminal minds is that they are very effective collaborations, and even with big name stars, it is not all about them, but about how everyone working together can produce an excellent piece of drama.  Collaboration is effective as it produces very exciting outcomes.

It is also great to read Wil Wheaton’s account of having to settle in to an established work place quickly.

So, go and read Criminal minds production diary (a version of this can be found on Wil Wheaton's blog) and be inspired about effective, creative and collaborative work places as Wil Wheaton describes things far better than I can.  Think about what changes you can make in your work place to increase the importance of teamwork, openness, generosity, respect, organization and fun in a high performance work place – and do something about it.

Read the rest of Sunken treasure as well – just for fun.