In the July/August 2008 edition of Training, Joanna Posner wrote an article entitled "No More Revolving Door".  The general idea of the article is how companies/employers can cut down on turnover.  Posner points out five crucial areas that every workplace should evaluate to insure a low turnover rate.  They are as follows:  Survival Mode - physical comfort and safety, A Friend Indeed- superiors who take a sincere interest in their subordinates, Power Struggle- recognizing employees for a job well done, What's Fun Got to Do with it?- encouraging employees to joke around, and Free to Do What I Want- giving employees the flexibilty to achieve specific goals in their own way.  I can definitely understand that these things can contribute to a more productive workplace.  As a teacher, I often came to work to find that the heating system in the school had quit working over the weekend and wouldn't be fixed until much later in the week.  Have you ever tried to write on a white board while your fingers were half frozen?  Or the other extreme, in early August we all trudge in to school to find that the A/C is out and we are told not to open our windows.  It is hard to concentrate when you can feel the sweat dripping down your forehead.   (It is also hard to get the students to adhere to the dress code!) My last principal had a difficult time adjusting to new hires.  She, unintentionally I believe, made them feel left out by constantly ignoring them and actively seeking the company of only a select few.  Many first year teachers left that school because they didn't feel a sense of belonging. There are people all around us doing good things but we don't always know it or acknowledge it.  My niece came home from school the other day with a sticker on her shirt that said "I was caught doing good today."  She was very proud of herself.  Too often in schools, we only focus on the negative and that only breeds contempt.  Teachers and students alike need to be praised for a job well done.¼/p> Of course, any time you can make an environment more enjoyable people will benefit.  Stress levels will decrease and productivity will increase.  Assumingly the word-of-mouth opinion that is spread by your employees will shine.  In my experience, fellow teachers were always the happiest on Wednesdays when we had "Salad Bar Day".  We all contributed various salad components and spent our lunch time enjoying good food and good friends. Posner also writes about giving employees the freedom and flexibility to make decisions on how to accomplish certain tasks.  Unfortunately, unless the superiors are trained and counselled on how to be flexible while still maintaining a certain level of control and authority, the creativity of employees is often squashed before it is given the opportunity to prove its worth.  I think public education should take a cue from the business world on this one!