Do you have a "Wreck-It-Ralph" in the Workplace?

I love to go to the movies.  Don't you?

When my husband and I were dating, we used to compromise on what movie to see.  We'd pick a movie that we could both live with.  Eventually we realized this wasn't the best plan, since we always saw movies that neither of us were excited about.  So now we trade off.  We see a Patrick movie, then a Cheri movie, and so on.

One "Cheri movie" we recently watched was "Wreck it Ralph" which is a cartoon about a video game character that gets tired of being the "bad guy" and decides to break the rules to become a hero.  It was full of 80's video game references (Qbert!) and had a fun and zingy plot, and we both enjoyed it.

Breaking the rules can be liberating, but it can also have consequences.

One of the themes of the movie is that we all have a need to be appreciated for what we bring to the workplace.  Wreck-It-Ralph tore down the building, and the hero Felix would build it back up.  Felix was adored, Ralph was maligned.

Don't we have "Wreck It Ralphs" in our workplaces?  The people who do the dirty work, who break the status quo, and who create a bit of chaos?  Do we appreciate them?

One time I worked with a group of Gastroenterologists, and they had a team member who literally did the "dirty work" - he painstakingly cleaned the GI scopes.  This technician was thorough and took this job very seriously, but the patients never knew about his work.

One time I worked with a manufacturing manager who had a habit of being vocal when there were problems, much to the irritation of her peers.   Although she served an important function by being an honest voice for change, she was rarely appreciated for it.

If you're looking for an uplifting movie, I recommend Wreck It Ralph.   And if you have people like Ralph in your organization - essential but underappreciated - I hope you'll think of them this week and tell them that you appreciate them for what they do.

Even if they bust some bricks along the way. :)

Cheri Baker is the owner of Emergence Consulting.  She enjoys working with people who are positively disruptive and willing to knock a few heads together. (metaphorically of course.)