Let’s imagine you work for a company called, “Counting the Minutes Until Quittin’ Time,” or “I Really Wish It Was the Weekend So I Wouldn’t Have to Be Here”

This is what I found myself wondering at an airport T.G.I. Friday’s the other week, eating a Tropical Splash Salad (so good) and being served by a very courteous, efficient gentleman named Evan. Sure, the operation seemed to be running smoothly, and given the number of folks waiting to get a seat, the restaurant wasn’t exactly hurting for customers. And yet, despite the obvious signs of success, I kept getting stuck on the name – “Thank Goodness It’s Friday!”

What does it mean to be a business which, on some level, seems to celebrate the fact that we’re living for the weekend, that fun only starts on Friday nights, and that good stuff doesn’t happen until we’ve punched the clock? How would T.G.I. Friday’s feel if their employees were counting the minutes until they were off work?

I know millions of us do feel this way –70% of us are either “dissatisfied” or “highly dissatisfied” with our current jobs, according to one survey. Far be it for me to stand in the way of a chain restaurant that serves some amazing potato skins, but we all know that it’s a lot more fun to like your job than to be watching the clock all day. And, last I checked, it’s also a lot more profitable for businesses when their employees are engaged and enthusiastic about their work – not just counting the moments until they can get the hell out the door. Why run a business – or call yourself something – that encourages otherwise?