Following the craziness of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, both we and our customers may feel burned out on all of the retail transactions. However, in a period of such abundance for so many, what can we do to remember those who are not as lucky as we? For many companies, a component of social compassion or giving plays a large part in their core values. But how can we visibly live those values as companies?
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Photo courtesy of asenat29
Consider a twist on the traditional holiday luncheon or party by incorporating charity into the event. If your company is not already working directly with a charity, you can make arrangements to participate in holiday wish fulfillment for any number of charities (even the United States Post Office runs a holiday charity with its Operation Santa).
Rather than gathering around a few trays of take out in the break room, adopt a family in need, meet at a local retailer, break into teams, and challenge employees to a new kind of scavenger hunt. Alternatively, lists for “Santa” can be made available to employees in advance of the holiday luncheon and then collected and wrapped as a part of the celebration.
If your holiday party budget is larger, perhaps this is the year to pledge a portion of the allotted budget instead to fulfilling as many wishes as possible. You can challenge employees to take ownership of the charitable giving by having them vote on predetermined options for the level of the budget being earmarked for giving. But do not be surprised if it is voted to pledge the entire budget!
In a simpler act of charity, scheduling a day and time to volunteer with a local organization as a group is always a wonderful way to put values into action. Food pantries, soup kitchens, animal shelters, and more are always looking for volunteers to help them provide their services (which are often in higher demand during the colder months of the year).
By taking the time and effort this holiday season to recognize and celebrate our companies’ own abundance and good fortune through the giving of gifts and kind deeds, we will not only build stronger bonds within our own teams, but also within our communities. Let’s be the visible faces of good holiday cheer, not just through our day to day interactions with our customers, but in our world at large.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]