Good times and riches and son-of-a....

Ahhhh...the sweet, sweet pain of a dysfunctional workplace.

We've all been there....some of us might even still be there.

You know, in the good ol' days of my apprenticeship, I had the great fortune of studying under and modeling my style after one of the most gifted funeral director/embalmers I've ever known.

Hadley had words of wisdom for me, which have stuck in my head like verbal Krazy Glue.

"Danny...this business will do one of three things to you. It'll turn you into 1) a drunk, 2) a nut or 3) a bastard. Choose your path wisely."

Oh, I've worked with and for my share of drunks and bastards...I imagine many of you have, too.

The fraternity antics, hazing of "new meat", verbally and sexually harassing co-workers...and that's just the women!

just kidding, folks...no need to fire off a slew of corrective email.

But seriously, if you are noticing change in your staff like increased hostility, tension, frequent absences and tardiness~you might have a problem.

The emotionally charged atmosphere of funeral service lends itself to destructive, dysfunctional employee behaviors, especially in a managerial vacuum...hell, even the ol' Guerrilla himself has been known to fire off a scathing review of co-workers and or managers...

But it's not healthy...nor is it good for your bottom line. Provide, Nay, ENSURE appropriate stress relief is at the ready for your staff...it can be as simple as letting them take a long lunch on a slow afternoon, provided that they can be reached and return quickly if needed.

Keep your good weather eye on your front liners...quench the flare ups before they rage into blazes, or you might get burnt.

Until next time,

Dan