One of life's small pleasures is my ability to fly out of Oakland, California's airport and avoid
San Francisco International Airport.

I often park in an outlying lot and take a shuttle to the terminal. Many times the shuttle van would also shuttle employees to and from the terminal.  Often I am surrounded by Southwest Airlines employees who are either about to start, or else just ending, their shift.  You can't tell the difference!

Southwest employees LOVE their job, and it shows.

They are in love with their job, their employer and each other. It's infectious. There I am, surrounded by scores of happy-go-lucky employees, smiling, joking, laughing and playing.

Soon enough the shuttle stops and I disembark. Many times I'm wistful as I realize I'm not flying Southwest this particular trip. Woe is me. The Southwest employees go laughing off in one direction and I'm suddenly grounded in reality.

Fun and work are not mutually exclusive!

Instructional Moment: Customers appreciate it when employees are happy and helpful.  They benefit when employees feel good about themselves. Work flies by when employees are having fun. Whether you're a CSR, a TSR or just a VIP (very intense person), Mirth makes dollars and sense. Find opportunities for frolic and enjoy the benefits to morale, productivity and attendance.

May each of you be as excited about your job, mission and company as SWA employees are. Remember, you make your own reality. If you don't believe me, remember what Tower of Power said: You Ought To Be Having Fun!

Learn more about Craig's "Jest Practices: Humor in the Workplace" presentation.

Download a small one-page description of Jest Practices presentation as a PDF.

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