Potholes and Popsicles

Today, my communication pet peeve got triggered.

We were watching a presentation at our company in-service, and the presenters were talking about creating a magical experience for your employees.

They gave the example of the Magic Castle. There’s a red telephone by the pool, and if you pick it up, someone will bring you a popsicle. There’s a snack list where you can get free snacks. Little unexpected things designed to create a magical moment.

And all of that is wonderful.

They talked about the psychology behind creating those moments for employees. I was completely with them.

Then they said something like:

“Don’t fix the problems. Create the moments.”

And eventually:

“Don’t fix the potholes. Create the magical moments.”

And immediately I thought:

No. You have to fix the potholes.

Because if you don’t fix the pothole, eventually you’re going to create an intensely negative moment for an employee.

I started thinking about the little things employees bring up — the annoying process, the thing that doesn’t work, the problem everybody knows about. Yes, create magical moments. Bring me the popsicle. Give me the free snack.

But please fix the pothole, too.

Then I wondered why the statement bothered me so much.

Because I’m pretty sure if I had raised my hand and said, “But you do have to fix the potholes,” the presenters would have agreed with me. I don’t think they were literally advocating for ignoring employee problems.

It was a rhetorical device. The contrast makes the idea memorable: Don’t do this. Do that.

But that particular communication style bugs me.

Why can’t we let both things be true?

Create magical moments AND fix the potholes.

Removing something negative and creating something positive aren’t necessarily the same thing. Fixing the pothole tells an employee, We heard you. This problem matters.

Creating the magical moment tells them, We value you. We want this to be a good place to work.

We need both.

Because eventually, if you keep handing me popsicles while I’m hitting the same pothole every morning, I’m probably going to stop thinking the popsicle is magical.

I’m going to start wondering why nobody has fixed the pothole.

What pothole have you stopped mentioning?

Here, I made this. My gift to you, for taking the time to read.

Images are from my imagination, generated by AI. Writing is all me.