Employee Information Exchange
 Many businesses pay for their staff members to attend seminars and conferences with the understanding that they will learn professional skills they can apply on the job. What most businesses do not do is encourage those staff members to share what they have learned with their co-workers and others.
Websites, shared document portals, social media and other tools allow all of us to easily disseminate information. But many times conference attendees return to work only to be overwhelmed playing catch up. Why not permit that employee to take some time upon his or her return to publish some high level notes that others might find valuable and save them on a shared document portal? Or, better yet, arrange a “lunch and learn” style presentation for the conference-goer to share some of what they learned.
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Make the Holidays Special
 It’s that time of year again where we all start out with the best of intentions and end up the season stressed out. Here are a couple of ideas to help you keep things in perspective:
- Set aside some time each day to just relax. Listen to some music or light your favorite scented candle and enjoy the peace and quiet.
- It’s not about expensive gifts. Options:
- Do a grab bag where each adult buys for one other adult. Set a dollar limit and encourage creativity.
- Make a donation to the person’s favorite charity instead of sending a gift.
- Shop at local merchants. You can find some very unusual items across all price ranges. Even better, most of the dollars stay in your local community.
- Agree to exchange small gifts or homemade gifts.
- Have a no-gifts dinner party where everyone brings a dish.
- Exchange favors instead of gifts (a free evening of babysitting for stressed parents or a prepared dinner for an older person who doesn’t like to cook).
- For kids, take them to the store and have them choose one gift each to donate to Toys for Tots or a similar charity.
- Can’t deal with sending cards this year? Don’t. Or just send a few cards with personal notes to those you really want to. Send holiday greetings out via Facebook instead.
- Volunteer some time helping the Salvation Army hand out toys or sorting food at your local food bank. This will really put your life in perspective.
- Bosses: consider gifting your employees with an unexpected afternoon off (with pay) so they can run errands.
The holidays are what you make of them. Don’t allow yourself to be swayed into the commercial aspects of the holidays. Focus instead on faith, family and friends. Have a great Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza!
Upcoming Events
12/14/11: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Women Business Owners Network of Cary, Cary, NC. You Can't Fake a Brand. Jeanne Frazer, marketing expert, speaker and author speaks to members of the WBON as part of their Success Strategies to Enrich the Whole Woman program series. WBON is an educational and networking group made up of women business owners and professionals. Click here for more information.
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