Here is an article written by Jeff Haden for BNET (March 18, 2011), The CBS Interactive Business Network. To check out an abundance of valuable resources and obtain a free subscription to one or more of the BNET newsletters, please click here.

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Haden includes a series of brief film clips from one of my five favorite films, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

To watch the film clips, please click here.

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Recognizable quotes sometimes create instant understanding.  Most of us use them, at least occasionally.  If, for example, you sometimes channel your inner King Leonidas to rally your business troops, give “This… is… Sparta!” a rest and try something different.  Turn to the Pythons for inspiration.

(By the way: I’ve seen call-response interludes at different meetings — like spelling the company name, or shouting a “catchy” slogan like “Get things done — have fun!” — but watching 100 people yell the Spartan war cry tops them all for, um, weirdness.)

(Also by the way: Try to name more quotable movies than Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian.  This is Spinal Tap, Major League, Caddyshack, and Animal House come to mind, but not many others.)

[Any such list that omits Young Frankenstein is incomplete.]

Here are six quotes you can use from Holy Grail.  Keep in mind if you watch the clips, not all are safe for work:

“It’s just a flesh wound.” The Black Knight is the quintessential optimist.  When orders ship late, production lines go down, customer complaints skyrocket, or cash flow is down to a trickle, don’t let your employees see you sweat.  If you lose hope, how will your employee stay positive and focused? (Skip to the 2:05 mark if you must.)

“Help, help, I’m being repressed!” Admit it:  Even if you don’t like Holy Grail, the constitutional peasants are funny.  Feel free to trot this one out when employees complain they should be allowed to text at work, or take more breaks or personal phone calls, or… you get the drift.  (Actual line is around 2:30.)

“It’s not a question of where he grips it! It’s a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.” Perfect for anyone who hides behind technology to justify problems, delays, or additional expense.  Sometimes a coconut is just a coconut. (1:25.)

“One day, lad, all this will be yours.” Herbert doesn’t want the castle; he wants to sing (albeit badly.)  You may not want to run the family business.  Your parents might be disappointed if that’s the case, but better to be honest than to give less than your best. (Sorry I couldn’t find a shorter clip; skip ahead to 3:40.)

“If she weighs the same as a duck, she’s made of wood.”  “And therefore…?”  “A witch!” To all the continuous improvement specialists and Six Sigma black belts (oops, full disclosure, I have one) who draw incredible conclusions from amazing feats of data analysis… and then step back to let others do the implementation dirty work. (2:40.)

“I’m getting better…” Running any business is tough, but keeping a successful business successful can be incredibly difficult.  Don’t give up in the face of setbacks, and don’t listen to naysayers.  You still may fail, but try to fail without regrets and on your own terms. (1:05.)

I know there are more — if you have favorites, feel free to share!

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Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about management as he worked his way up the printing business from forklift driver to manager of a 250-employee book plant. Everything else he knows, he has picked up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest CEOs he knows in business. He has written more than 30 non-fiction books, including four Business and Investing titles that reached #1 on Amazon’s bestseller list. He’d tell you which ones, but then he’d have to kill you.

Visit his website at: www.blackbirdinc.com.