Happy_Holidays_(5318408861)HOLIDAYS like Christmas, Eid ul-Fitr and Passover are important at multiple levels.  We enjoy them perhaps as cultural touchstones, but even more important is the core grounding of each event.

These examples happen to be religious, but you can find similar secular examples.  In the US we’ve adopted Memorial Day and Labor Day as the unofficial beginning and end of summer.  And like everything in this country, it seems they’ve also been overtaken as consumer events.

But the core behind these remembrances is quite deep, based on the loss of lives in military battle, and the conflict between management and labor in the Industrial Revolution.

For your business, what are the core touchstones behind your values and principles?  How do you continually bring people back to that?

Some companies attempt to do this by putting a large graphic on the wall:  “Here’s what we stand for.”  The problem is that when you and your employees see it every day, it becomes invisible.

There’s a reason why holidays are spread out:  It makes them special and memorable.  If you celebrated your birthday every week, it would cease to have much impact.

Suppose that your business strongly supports building schools in Africa.  When a milestone is reached – a new school is opened, perhaps – you should have a big celebration across the company.

It will be unique, special, and memorable.

How are you celebrating and helping your people remember why your business is special?

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a wonderful start to 2016, and joy in whatever you might be celebrating around this time.