There are many ways to do fine work. One approach to focus on doing things that give you or other people delight. It is then to do your best and deliver the goods.
There are many definitions for the word delight. Here are some that involve helping people to enjoy such an experience.
Delight
It is a positive feeling of enjoyment, satisfaction, pleasure, happiness or even rapture.
During the past fifty years I have met or learned from people who took this approach. These included people who worked in the caring professions, education, hospitality, sports, business and other walks of life. Let’s look at some examples.
Delight In Education
Many educators believe it is vital to create an positive environment in which people can thrive. This approach can be used to encourage people to learn at any age.
Henry Pluckrose followed this approach at Prior Weston Primary School in the 1970s. This state school become famous and attracted visitors from around the world.
I was fortunate to visit the school on several occasions. It provided a magical environment in which children and teachers where encouraged to do their best work
The school was based on how children learn. The teachers translated these principles into action and enabled the children to master the basic skills – reading, writing and arithmetic – plus excel in the creative arts.
Here is an introduction to the principles people followed to help students to learn. This is followed by Henry’s view of the purpose of schools.
Delight In Workplaces
Many companies talk about the importance of delighting their customers. Some actually do that in a way that create wins for the customers, wins for the colleagues and wins for the company.
Renata Wallace pursued this approach when creating the four Wallace Spaces in London. These are stimulating venues that provide wonderful service, facilities and food for workshops, seminars and other events.
The places are well-designed and staffed by people who say ‘Yes’. The perks include old-fashioned sweets that remind people of their childhoods. Everything is done in a professional way and give people positive memories for life.
I always chose The Wallace Space for running workshops. The participants were delighted and many booked their own courses there. Here is just one testimonial plus snapshots of the places.
Let’s return to your own life and work. As mentioned earlier, there are many ways to do fine work. One approach is to focus on doing things that give you or other people delight. It is then to do your best and deliver the goods.
Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where you may want to follow elements of this approach. This could be in your personal or professional life.
How could you follow this approach in your own way? How could you do your best to deliver the goods and help yourself or other people to experience delight? What may happen as a result of taking these steps?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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