Do You Run Your Business More Like Scrooge or Fezziwig?
In December 1843, Charles Dickens wrote a novella he originally called a “Ghost Story of Christmas.” In the story we all know as “A Christmas Carol,” Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts, including his deceased business partner Jacob Marley, followed by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.
The ghost of Christmas past takes Scrooge back to the time he was a young man working at Fezziwig’s Warehouse. The Warehouse is closing Christmas Eve, in preparation for a rousing party with dancing and sumptuous food. The ghost of Christmas present reveals to Scrooge the poverty of his sole employee at the Scrooge & Marley Counting House, Bob Cratchit, and the plight of his family.
Comparing your workplace to Scrooge’s Counting House or Fezziwig’s Warehouse is more than just a fanciful holiday exercise. It is designed to get you thinking about the tone and personality you have set at your business. If the goal is to raise productivity of employees, generate new business, and increase revenues, it is worth a look at what type of workplace you have created to accomplish those goals. There is no better mirror for this type of business assessment than the eyes of your employees.
Fezziwig’s Warehouse and the Scrooge & Marley Counting House were two very different workplaces. The differences lie in the philosophy and values of the business owners themselves, and how these values were communicated to employees. Which one best describes your philosophy and your workplace?
| Scrooge & Marley Counting House |
Fezziwig’s Warehouse |
| "Humbug" | "Hilli-ho" |
| Hard & sharp as flint | Laughing & dancing |
| Holidays pick your pockets; pay a day's wages for not work at all | Close early to prepare for merriment |
| Ice cold office, hand out one piece of coal at a time | Snug, warm & dry |
| Complain about closing on Christmas Day | Hire a baker, cook, milkman and fiddler & dance until midnight |
| Complain about the excess population | Invite the less fortunate to celebrate |
Employers set the tone for workplaces. Determine your business philosophy and be sure to share it with your employees.
