May the 4th Be With You! Star Wars Day. Employee Engagement Employee Experience

Each year, on May 4th, we celebrate Star Wars Day.  #MayTheFourthBeWithYou  It’s a pun on “May the force be with you.”

 

The Origin Story

ID-100211536 - Newspaper Shows Media Journalism Newspapers And Headlines - Freedigitalphotos dot netThe idea did not come from Lucasfilm, the creator of the movie franchise. It was started by the fans. “One of the earliest known records of “May the 4th” used in popular culture is in 1979.”1 It came in the form of an ad to congratulate Margaret Thatcher on becoming Britain’s first woman prime minister.2

 

The Ongoing Battle

Lightsabers clashingIn the Star Wars saga, there is an ongoing battle between the Dark Side and the Force. The Dark Side, represented by the Emperor and his protégés Darth Maul and Darth Vader, is a command and control regime. It feeds on greed and seeks power over others. The Force is about connectedness, collaboration, mindfulness, peace, and happiness.

While Star Wars may be science fiction, similar stories of this interminable struggle can be found in all types of companies today.

 

Cultivating the Force

Companies and their employees are responsible for cultivating the force.

Companies can cultivate the force by focusing on organizational development projects related to employee experience.  They consider the lifecycle of engagement and look for meaningful ways to improve the employee experience in each of the 7 phases.

 

6 Ways to Better Engage in the Workplace - Employee EngagementEmployees cultivate the force through change management projects related to employee engagement. Specifically, there are 6 ways to better engagement in the workplace. Engagement is a choice.

With which side does your company identify? With which side do YOU identify?

 

Before the credits roll

Before today, the week, the month, quarter, etc. ends, what action will you take to resist the Dark Side? Inaction by a company to focus on the employee experience or the failure of an employee to better engage in the workplace only feeds the Dark Side. Feel the force and take action today to strengthen it within your company and within yourself!

 

Remember, as The Force Awakens, A New Hope will prevail.  Until next time, JEDI (Just Enjoy Discussing It).

 

 

1 “May the 4th.” StarWars.com. Lucasfilm Ltd., n.d. Web. 04 May 2017.
2 Ibid.

Photo credits
May the 4th Be With You: maythe4thblack2_fullpic – maxconnectmarketing.com
Newspaper: ID-100211536 – Newspaper Shows Media Journalism Newspapers And Headlines – Freedigitalphotos.net
Lightsabers: lightsabers-clash-300×169 – spiritualresearchfoundation.org

 

 

What are your thoughts on the Dark Side and the Force as they relate to employee experience and employee engagement?  Are there stories you can share?

 

Let’s Engage! 

I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.

Employee engagement is a critical mission. I hope I can count on your help! Subscribe to the RSS Feed to receive the latest intelligence/insights and/or register to make entries in the comments log.

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P.S.  First contact? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement community. Explore and join fellow employee engagement operatives in targeting a known thief – alias: Disengagement. Together we can bring this thief to justice and make the world a better place for all companies and their employees.

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