John's Blog

When it comes to motivational materials, I've always been a fan of the cynical and satirical stylings of the Demotavators Posters produced by Despair, Inc. Meant as a parody of traditional motivational posters, their products stand in harsh contrast to the typically humorless corporate culture, As with any spoof, many grains of truth are contained in their witty messages.

Too many motivational speakers have an "over the top" energy that instead of being infectious, winds up being a turn-off. Ever since "Little Miss Sunshine" sullied the image of motivational speakers, I've had a particularly hard time hearing the term without smirking. Yet, occasionally some of these materials resonate and hit a sweet spot...



The powerful (and supposedly true) story of Johnny The Bagger reminds us of how our actions, and how we connect with others can make a difference. A longer dramatization is also on-line, but the zen-like Powerpoint version gets the job done just fine.

Another effective speaker I saw not too long ago was Mark Sanborn, whose Fred Factor program talks about the lessons that a postal carrier taught him, and how we can add value to our lives and those we encounter daily. A simple and effective parable that also reminds us of the difference just one person can make. But I find myself wondering; what are the chances that Fred The Postman ever ran into Frank The Cab Driver? The stories seem remarkably similar, although far be for me to question the legitimacy of any of these tales; these allegories all work whether they are real, or fictional.

But before I get too serious for too long, how about a mini "link-dump" of semi related customer service videos for a change of pace?

Jimmy Dean Sausage Complaint
Ordinary Indignity
The customer is never right!!!
Customer Service Training
The Customer Sevice Zone
Customer Service: The Movie

Tags: life experiences, motivation, humor, videos, you tube