encouragement

Mary Kay Ash encouraged her employees at Mary Kay with an attitude of celebration and blessing.

She signed hundreds of birthday cards offering free lunch and a free movie. She commemorated employees' "blessed events" such as weddings and babies with personal gifts. She put flowers and white tablecloths in the company cafeteria, and perfume and makeup -Mary Kay brand- in the rest rooms. 

A sign outside her office read "Department of Sunshine and Rainbows." Her credo was "Appreciation is the oil that makes things run." Ash realized that constant verbal and physical demonstrations of encouragement are necessary for the achievement of ambitious goals and to make employees feel truly valued.

Moses also knew the encouraging power of encouragement. When the desert sands seemed unending, when food became scarce, and when internal dissidents threatened to undermine the organization's purpose ("Let's return to Egypt!" they moaned), Moses reminded the Israelites of their goal, a "land of milk and honey" that truly existed, even if they had never seen it.

"Encourage one another daily" Hebrews 3:13.

-lorin wolfe