Posts Tagged ‘christmas’
Tis the season?
Posted on: December 21, 2012
Tis the season to use “tis” and “twas”.
It is also the time of year to receive Christmas cards. Both the dead trees kind and the electronic but still use fossil fuel to display on screen kind. There is no winning formula.
Like some things in life, the intent is good, but the implementation screws it up.
The idea is to say “I am thinking of you” or “I wish you well”. But that message gets lost or diluted when you receive it from members of your workplace via a bunch of identical corporate cards meant for external parties.
I met a colleague who said she found this practice to be unusual corporate culture. She added that she would use her own personal cards.
There is an unintended message that this practice sends: I care enough to send you greetings, but not enough to make it personal.
Don’t get me wrong. The practice is not widespread and I appreciate the intended gesture. But it also shows me an unwillingness to change mindsets or an ignorance of alternatives. I say this not to insult but to inform.
I received fewer of the clone cards than I did last year. Perhaps the mindset is changing. Perhaps we will find ways to appreciate one another more regularly and meaningfully.
Oh, lest I come across as curmudgeonly or hum-buggery, I wish all my silent readers a blessed Christmas with family and loved ones!
Carol of Bells on cello
Posted on: December 25, 2011
And to all a good night…
Ex-mass cards
Posted on: December 22, 2011
It is the time of year to receive Christmas cards and gifts. Have you ever noticed that as you get older, you receive more cards and fewer gifts?
A few years ago I stopped receiving actual Christmas cards because the people I know value trees as much as they do Christmas. A friendly tweet, Facebook post or e-card sufficed and these were no less warm than actual cards.
You cannot hang an e-message on a string or display it on a shelf, of course. But I do not need these things to feel like it is Christmas.
But this year the cards returned with vengeance. All of them were from my work place. I have received more since I took the photo. While I appreciate the gesture, looking at these cards does not make me go ho-ho-ho.
First, I think about the waste of money and resources to make these cards. Then I think about all the other folks at my workplace who receive the same cards (and since they are more popular than I am, they receive even more).
Finally, only one card from a colleague stood out. I appreciate that card and person the most for realizing what everyone else was doing and for making it the gesture more personal.
Don’t get me wrong. The corporate cards are lovely and they would be welcome if I received just one and if I was someone outside my organization.
The cards paint a different picture when they are sent internally and put together. Almost like a Rorschach (ink blot) test, the collection of cards might be used to evaluate our collective psyche.
If we are labelled as being conformist, lacking imagination and one-size-fits-all, we would have little to say by way of rebuttal.
Fortunately, we have a few who stand out and are not afraid to do so. They might get into trouble, but they provide the variety in the organizational gene pool that helps it survive in a world that is constantly changing. (By “they” I mean “we” because I count myself among “them”.)
If I had two Christmas wishes, they would be: 1) I hope to see the end of Christmas cards as we know them (Hallmark be damned!), and 2) if I have to get cards at work, I hope that there is a variety that reflects the diversity of thought that I know my organization possesses.
CeL Christmas decorations
Posted on: December 17, 2011
This was my quick walk through the aisles of our office. Four teams in CeL are competing for the most creative decorations made from recycled materials.
Check out what my staff did behind the scenes, view the official contest photos on our Facebook wall and then vote for the best decorations. Anyone one can vote and voting ends on 23 Dec. Help one group win a mystery prize from me!
Xmas gifted
Posted on: December 26, 2010
I don’t know many 7-year-olds who can sing like this.
This from a girl who watched her mother die from cancer.
I am thankful for what I have. Every day.
Collaborative Christmas cheer
Posted on: December 24, 2010
Video source
It’s been a busy time leading up to Christmas. The folks who made this video, Torchbox, have been busy too!
They spread Christmas cheer, use iPads and show a great example of collaboration. Ho-ho-ho!
