A two part blog post…this first one looks inside your organization.  Part two will look outside to your customers.

I have a candy jar in my office.  Actually, right now I’m using a miniature version of a candy bin from Goofy’s Candy Company at Walt Disney World.  It has a great little scoop and is perfect for M&M’s.  I used to have a really tall glass jar that was perfect for miniature chocolate bars.  Tall or short, large or small, I always want to have a candy jar in my office.  Why?  I’ve told people for years, “as long as I have candy in my jar, I have friends in the building!”  J

Seriously, my candy jar allows me to visit with people who wouldn’t be likely to come chat with me.  I catch up on the latest happenings in the office.  I keep the engineers I work with going through their late night push to meet a cut-over deadline.  When I managed a call center, I got to see agents who otherwise never would have stepped into my office.   Staff members would tell me that the title on the door seemed intimidating…but it’s hard to be intimidated when you’re sharing chocolate together.   It’s like putting out a welcome mat for your co-workers.  That’s the power of the candy jar!

Question for today: As a leader in your organization, what draws people in to talk to you?