Everyone has a favorite movie. For some, it’s the action and adventure of a great chase. For others, it’s the eternal love story and happy ending of a great romance.
For me, it’s Steven Spielberg’s 1981 hit, Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s the kind of movie that has all the aspects that make a movie great entertainment..action, adventure, comedy, suspense and even drama. We’ll explore those more in a moment but for those of you who haven’t seen this classic, here’s a brief summary.
Set in the 1930’s, archeologist Indiana Jones goes against the Nazis in search for the biblical Ark of the Covenant. Along the way, he encounters an old flame and partners with buddies from around the world to beat his enemy. Click here for the detailed story.
In our final movie / workplace blog series, I thought it would be fun to showcase a movie that includes some great elements that are also important in the workplace as well.
Great movies have a simple plot.
Indiana Jones’ mission was simple. Find the Ark and bring it back to the USA. He had to complete several tasks along the way- and encountered many obstacles – to execute his mission. But with all the twists and turns, you knew what he was doing.
In your workplace, how simple is your mission? Do employees know the real purpose of the business and more importantly, their role in accomplishing the mission? This goes beyond any posters on the wall or slogans on a business card. What is your company really about?
Great movies have some comedic relief.
Along the way, Indiana Jones faces several obstacles in his journey. The writers inserted specific scenes to tickle the audience. One of my favorite scenes shows our hero is facing an armed swordsman. The swordsman begins to showcase his skills by swooping and spinning the sword when out of frustration, Indiana Jones throws down his sword, pulls out his handgun and shoots the bad guy. The scene is perfectly timed in the middle of a chase.
What about your workplace? Is it a fun place to work? Do you encourage times for laughter? Yes, it IS work but it should also include elements that encourage your employees to want to be there.
Great movies create positive buzz.
Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first in a three-part trilogy of films. Audiences and critics alike fell in love with this action hero. The film was carefully written to include suspense that glued audiences to the chair and theme music that heralds our action hero’s escapades. In short, the great response to the movie created two sequels.
What about your workplace? Employees talk about the happenings of your business – that’s a given – but what kind of talk is it? Do they talk about the positive things going on around the company or broken promises? Are conversations filled with the accomplishments being made or complaints of work issues that are never resolved? If you were in movie world, would the activities of your business be so great, others would want to replicate them, such as a sequel?
In reality, businesses are reality not Hollywood. But it’s interesting, if we did focus on a few of these movie dynamics, would our businesses improve?
Grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.