It’s April 1st today or April Fools Day and it got me thinking – why celebrate fools?
I love those television programs where one can watch talented people try their hardest to produce the best work that they can and learn to be better at their craft. They are, however, often ruined by certain presenters who, because I assume they are intimidated by people with true talent and skill, have to play the fool. This seems to be increasingly the case in so many areas of life and business. ‘Dumbing Down’ is the title given to this unfortunate trend.
Are we reverting to the middle ages where the king always had to have a fool to make him took good?
True leaders celebrate and encourage those who put in the effort and make improvements, no matter how small. They want to surround themselves with people who are at least as good, if not better than them. They don’t celebrate fools.
Wouldn’t it be better if we celebrated people who are doing their best and trying every day to improve their lives and the lives of those around them? After all the Kaizen technique is based upon continuous small improvements not humiliation and bullying by fools.
Bees don’t tolerate fools. The hive only allows those who are positively contributing to continue as part of the colony. Any bee not making the effort is ruthlessly removed. That doesn’t mean all bees must be brilliant. Training and continuous improvement are important parts of a bee’s life and effort is rewarded.
Don’t get me wrong, I love good comedy, but that is a result of intelligent observation, not playing the fool. Foolishness is not funny. Fools try to humiliate others and bring them down to their level. Fools are a type of bully. We need to celebrate diversity and effort, encouraging everyone who tries to improve. We should celebrate positive effort and ignore and not tolerate those who don’t care or who try to bring others down. This should be true, not only in our personal lives but in business as well.
If we must have April Fools Day then can we please make the other 364 days of the year Celebrate Effort And Intelligence Days? It’s not a snappy title but it might just make for a better world.
If you want to look at this further we have both manufacturing and service simulations to enable everyone to be more effective. Please contact us for details – https://www.wellsassoc.co.uk/contact/.
If you want to be kept up to date with blogs and other matters please subscribe to our newsletter –http://www.wellsassoc.co.uk.