Do you like Mondays?

Does work get you down? Are you off or out of work?

Did you read/see the stuff recently about what makes a good place to work? Please see http://www.greatplacetowork.co.uk/home It’s all quite interesting.

In my time I’ve worked in a garage, filled supermarket shelves, done the Christmas post, in a hospital laundry (ugh…orange bags!), in a youth hostel etc.

I was lucky, after five extra years study, getting a great job working with young people.

All my school mates who left as soon as we could, were also lucky, mostly going into the car and other engineering plants in Brum.

Most of those jobs, including youth work, are gone now or under severe threat!

Don’t we have a love/hate relationship with work?

I was lucky to have a job I enjoyed…when I had a creative Boss I loved my work even more, feeling valued and empowered…not so much when controlled when I felt undervalued and watched.

We had some great times…some of you may recall them.

I have spent a lot of my time with teachers, health service staff of all types, entrepreneurs, one man bands.

They’ve all tended to love their work, warts and all, with all its restrictions and frustrations.

In the health service now, so many talented and committed staff.

Their future being unclear distracts them sometimes from the health and care they want to deliver Looking at Great Places list of small and large firms; some are very small, some of the larger ones are literally household names: McDonalds, Microsoft, the Co-op, some are not… Big Mouth?

Good places to work engender employee trust, pride and camaraderie, according to the Great Places people.

Of which the greatest is Trust!

Most organisations are hierarchic? Great Places breaks Trust down to reflect that.

• Credibility of management in the eyes of employees.
• Respect shown to employees.
• Fairness in how employees are treated.

Fairly simple but is it reality?

Can it work? Does it work?

What’s the best place you’ve ever worked? Why?