Every sales meeting at Mackay Envelope Corp. kicks off with a joke. CEO Harvey Mackay, better known as the author of several business bestsellers, including Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, insists that humor be a key part of the $85 million Minneapolis company's culture. Humor, push-up and pull-up contests, and other high jinks are a part of the normal workday, all in the name of better productivity and happier workers.
“Humor is huge,” says Mackay. “You have to have it. You perform better and have a better attitude with it.”
He feels the same about recognition and rewards — surprises such as free tickets to sporting events and subsidies for advanced training, as well as little touches such as birthday celebrations for all 550 employees. The overall effect is what Mackay likes to call a “Thank God It's Monday” attitude: People love to come to work.