After a couple of minutes they turned around and attempted to spot what was different

After a couple of minutes they turned around and attempted to spot what was different about each other In some cases it was not only easy but hilarious. Crying can mean anything from angry or sad to even happy, but laughter always means the same thing."The longest and loudest laughs of the course were raised by an exercise designed to improve observation skills. Everybody was paired off, sat back to back and told to change five things about their appearance. Sue Plumbtree was quick to point out the benefits of humour to cross these divisions: "Smiling is the world's only universal language Other gestures change from culture to culture.

In this case, Operations complained that Sales will promise anything to close a deal, while Sales riposted that Operations were not flexible enough. "The top brass had their own pot and tray while we went to the canteen. Today at Harrow Green, I'm not conscious of any such barriers."The modern disease is inter-departmental rivalry, with each department functioning like a rival mini-company with its own objectives and priorities. "When I was a young man and first started working, even how you had your tea break was hierarchical," reflected director Geoff Upsdell.

But when someone's from another part of the firm they can take it the wrong way and think you're having a pop at them."It quickly became apparent that the main conflict was between different departments, rather than between managers and staff. In the modern, down- sized company, everybody works so closely together that those traditional divides are disappearing. "It relieves stress and allows us to step back from the pressure," explained Tim Ryder from the Operations section. "Within our department we know each other well enough to know when a joke's gone too far. It was very intimate, but the fun and positive nature stopped it from being too dangerous."Soon everyone was beginning to think about how laughter oiled the company wheels. And, as Paul Sharville confessed, "I normally like to reveal myself one page at a time, and my first love is more like page 365.