The GardEner's Badge
A landscape gardener ran a family-owned business that had been in his family for three generations.
The staff were happy, and customers loved to visit their store, or to have the staff work on their gardens or make deliveries - anything from bedding plants to ride-on mowers.
For as long as anyone could remember, the current owner and previous generations of owners were all very positive happy people.
Most folk assumed it was because they ran a successful business.
In fact it was the other way around...
A tradition in the business was that the owner always wore a big lapel badge, saying Business Is Great!
The business was indeed generally great, although it went through tough times like any other. What never changed however was the owner's attitude, and the badge saying Business Is Great!
Everyone who saw the badge for the first time invariably asked, "What's so great about business?" Sometimes people would also comment that their own business was miserable, or even that they personally were miserable or stressed.
Anyhow, the Business Is Great! badge always tended to start a conversation, which typically involved the owner talking about lots of positive aspects of business and work, for example:
How he loved meeting and talking with different people every day
He really enjoyed building his team, helping his staff take on new challenges and experiences
The fun and laughter in a relaxed and healthy work environment
How much he enjoyed the work itself, and in helping people enjoy their own homes more
The great feeling when you finish a job and know it’s your best work because you gave it everything you have.
The new things he learned every day
And the thought that everyone who has their own business is so blessed - because there are many millions of people who would swap their own situation to have the same opportunities of doing a productive meaningful job, in a democratic company that has the highest standard of living in the world.
And so the list went on. And no matter how miserable a person was, they'd usually end up feeling a lot happier after just a couple of minutes listening to all this infectious enthusiasm and positivity.
Of course it’s impossible to quantify or measure an attitude like this, but, if you believe as I do that what you think about, you become, then you won’t be surprised to hear that if asked about the badge in a quiet moment, the business owner would confide:
"The badge came first. The great business followed."
