Be happy with the child within
by Bernard McGrath, Inspection Validation Centre

Christmas is a particularly special time for children. The run up to Christmas starts with resisting the propaganda war run by your parents to counter the TV adverts, to try and ensure that you ask for the present they want to buy for you. You can sit back and watch them undertake long and tedious treks to get that must-have toy. When you do get the expensive present you asked for, you can put it to one side and have great fun with the packaging it came in.

For some time now I have been thinking about how we lose all the fun aspects of childhood as we grow older but for some reason we maintain many of the bad. The trigger for this came when I was reading messages about the Darfur crisis on the BBC website. One person had written that the solution was to send in a large number of primary school teachers to teach the various factions how to play nicely together.

At first reading this appears a flippant comment but on further consideration you realise that it does emphasise the simplicity behind what is considered a complex problem. The terrible situation is built on the childish impulses of "I don't like you because you are different" and "I want what you have" and "I am going to take it from you because I am stronger than you". However, because this behaviour is exhibited by adults and has such serious and tragic consequences, we tend to dress it up with more complicated explanations.

Not long afterwards, whilst driving home from work, there was a piece on the radio about the threatened postal strike. The interviewer asked a member of the management team to justify why the Chief Executive was receiving a big payment whilst the workforce was being asked to accept a small percentage increase. The representative refused to even accept what everyone else saw as an obvious link and after a little pressing was allowed to get away with not providing an explanation. What the representative had just done, and what many politicians and businessmen do when asked awkward questions, was the adult equivalent of putting his hands over his ears, closing his eyes and making a noise in order to avoid having to answer. But this childish behaviour, which we do not tolerate in children, is accepted and, more often than not, rewarded in its adult form in the world of business and politics.

Yet, so-called childish traits which could enhance our lives and make for a happier work environment are frowned upon as not suitable for adults or suppressed because of the response they would generate in our companions and colleagues. About fifteen years ago, Robert Fulghum wrote a book entitled 'All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten'. Things that he learned are reported to include: Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. He goes on to say how good it would be if everyone stopped for cookies and milk at 3.00 pm and then had a nap and how good it would be if all governments had a basic policy of always putting things back where they found them and cleaning up their own mess.

A consultant in business transformation subsequently wrote an article on how a child's day care centre provided inspiration on creating an environment for success. Some of the simple tips which she got were: Everyone gets a hello and goodbye which shows that we are happy that they are with us today and look forward to seeing them tomorrow. Music and colour are everywhere. Music is used to energise or relax when necessary. Bright but soothing colours cover the walls. Everyone belongs to a group which they are encouraged to take pride in. There is a daily mix of routine and spontaneity. All special days are celebrated and sad feelings are acknowledged. Work is displayed.
So as we start 2008, I wish you all a Happy New Year. But to help it to be a happy one, try to reconnect with the good and simple experience of childhood and unmask the adult versions of the bad behaviours for what they really are. After all, the king really did have no clothes on!

Please note that the views expressed in this column are the author's own personal ramblings for the purpose of encouraging discussion within the NDT Newspaper. They do not represent the views of the IVC, Serco Assurance or the HSE who funded the PANI projects.

Letters can be mailed to The Editor, NDT News, 1 Spencer Parade, Northampton NN1 5AA. Fax: 01604 231489; E-mail: ndtnews@bindt.org or e-mail Bernard McGrath direct at Bernard.McGrath@sercoassurance.com