Virtual Whisperer 11 — Give Your Team a Gift of Experience

My last post on working virtually focused on the WFH phenomenon going on and on and on. And here we are staring down the barrel of Q4 with 2021 right behind it.

Working from home shows no sign of letting up, and with school hopscotchy in so many places, the stress levels of working parents are especially high. If those parents are single, it’s even harder right now, with no end in sight.

In recent weeks, the topic that’s come up repeatedly among CEOs I meet with is preserving the wellbeing of employees, with mental health issues a particular concern. In my 30-year professional career, most of it spent in this industry, never has this come up, let alone this pervasively. But if it took a pandemic to raise our awareness about employee mental health and wellbeing, then it’s a silver lining in this mess.

I’ll write soon describing a litany of ideas we’ve gathered on preserving culture, having fun, and giving teams a break. But today, I want to share one idea that’s a riff from a chapter in my book Magic in the Mundane called Gift Experiences.

Ten plus years ago, I decided to shut the company between Christmas and New Year’s and give the entire staff the time off fully paid. We call this our Gift of Experience, as it’s a time to turn inward so staff can enjoy the season any way they want, and rest and reflect and create experiences with their families. It’s our thank-you to colleagues and their families for the time they give to Outsell and our clients directly and indirectly throughout the year.

The Gift of Experience is in addition to national holidays or paid time taken throughout the year for sickness or vacation. I’ve written about our time off policies, which are generous, but the annual Gift of Experience is special. It’s about the spirit of the holiday and giving our team a stretch of time when we are all unplugged.

Our teams have worked hard this year. Harder than ever, faster than ever, delivering innovation that is more transformational than ever. This year, we will be off at the close of business on December 23 until we return on January 4. It’s a long stretch. Paychecks still flow. People get a break. It’s a thank you and a chance to rejuvenate and come back refreshed. Most of all, it’s a time when no team member needs to feel conflicted between work and family, which to me is essential year-round but especially during the holiday season.

So I offer all of you the challenge of doing the same. Give your team a real break on your company’s nickel. Don’t make anyone use accrued vacation. Don’t make anyone work “dim lights.” Shut off the email, the phones, and the Zoom calls, and put Microsoft Teams to bed. It’ll be the best investment you’ve made in your team and a hearty “thank you” that will be felt by all.

Let’s hope big retail gets the memo as well and shuts stores down on Thanksgiving. We might not be able to stop greedy consumerism, but let’s let the data, information, and analytics industry lead the way.

Tell me what you decide to do. I’ll have more on the topic of wellbeing soon, but please start with a big statement about the upcoming holiday season.

Be well!