Hal's Corner
Masters of Mirth
Mirth Members 2008-09(from left to right): Melissa Dahir, Carol Bishop, Jacques Walker, David Ferraro, Sherri Jackson, Susan Compton.
As I considered moving from Georgia Tech to Virginia Tech to accept this job, one of the things that intrigued me was the fact that HR had a Mirth Committee. Like me, you may have no first hand experience with a Mirth Committee. Given my mirthless background, it seemed like a wise choice to join an employer where a group of employees had banded together to focus on mirth in the workplace.
Some may view this as silly – a workplace is, by definition, a place for work. But it speaks well of the spirit of a place when employees care enough about each other to recognize the importance of building community on the job. I would argue that, in these tough economic times, devoting time to mirth in the workplace has never been more important. Employees who work hard and play hard together care for and support each other, building a spirit of community which binds them together in good times and bad.
Carol Bishop, Susan Compton, Melissa Dahir, David Ferraro, Sherri Jackson, and Jacques Walker can’t be thanked enough for their work on the Mirth Committee. While many other employees in HR pitch in by bringing food for monthly birthday recognitions (and for almost any festive excuse), supporting colleagues who are facing difficulties, participating in workplace events, singing (yes, the Southgate Sweethearts sing for special occasions), cleaning the refrigerator on their scheduled turn, and keeping a positive attitude on the job, the Mirth Committee plays a special role in reminding all of us that we are more than the jobs we perform. They truly are the Masters of Mirth.
As a Virginia taxpayer, given the paragraph above you may be getting concerned now about how much actual work we do here and whether you are paying for the fun activities which bring us together from time to time. To quote the Bobby McFerrin song, “Don’t worry, be happy.” The Mirth Committee drafts a yearly calendar of events which get us together every other month or so. We work hard every day, including when we have events which are usually organized around the lunch hour. We take up a voluntary collection from employees to fund Mirth Committee activities. And because we have a Mirth Committee and employees who enjoy each other, we are more productive as a team – not less.
By putting the HR in miRtH, are we living in some sort of workplace utopia? Of course not – no office setting is perfect and we would make no claim that we are a better place to work than any other office at Virginia Tech. Are we the only organization at Virginia Tech which has fun at work? If you witnessed the Controller’s Office Halloween Parade, you would know that is not the case (I had fun just watching them). In fact, one of the factors that makes Virginia Tech such a great place to work is the effort our employees make all across the campus to bring fun into the workplace.
We all know that 2009 is going to be a challenging one from a budgetary standpoint. Let’s all make a point this year to maintain the sense of community that makes Virginia Tech so special. My hope for each of you is that when times get tough, you will remember to take time to enjoy your colleagues. Based on my limited experience with it, I have become convinced that a little mirth goes a long way.
About Hal Irvin
Hal Irvin has been Virginia Tech's associate vice president for human resources since March 2008.
Before coming to Virginia Tech, Hal worked for 14 years at Georgia Tech. In his last assignment, he served as executive director of organizational development – reporting to the executive vice president for administration and finance and was responsible for employee learning, change management, and internal consulting services. He played a central role in Georgia Tech’s successful efforts to improve administrative services and transform its service culture.