John Baumann

Broken down to the basic elements of the workplace dynamic, what all employees, associates, contractors, etc. really want most from the people they work for is respect & appreciation. This includes honesty, acknowledgment when a job is well done, credit for their contribution whether individually or part of a team. This feel good presentation is a reminder or refresher that works with any audience, but works especially well for those in a service industry like nurses and other healthcare professionals; first responders like police officers, firemen, EMTs, etc.; and front line factory personnel and front line supervisors. My talk contains several stories of appreciation related to my daughter's cerebral palsy and my Parkinsons. Here is an excerpt from my Article published in a business newspaper: Organizations make reference to their “culture” or “corporate culture” and sometimes refer to their “mission” or “mission statement.” These documents typically include some reference to how important their employees are, how customers come first, integrity, and so on. The words may be different, but they are all cut from the same cloth, a bunch of words. What boggles the mind even further is when an organization proclaims that they are going to “change their corporate culture.” Generally, all they do is rearrange the wording. You never see a mission statement change from “our supervisors will manage in a dictatorial manner” to “we will treat all employees with respect and appreciation.” No one would put down on paper the one about being dictatorial even if it is pervasive throughout the organization. I say, dump the mission statement and get out there to effectuate change: show your employees that you care about them.