The leaves are changing and we are slowly cooling down from a record-breaking summer. Autumn is officially here – and so is the holiday season. So besides filling up on turkey and football, let’s take a look at five things we can do this month.
Discover North America
November is Native American Heritage Month. Throughout our history, we have adopted several cultural identities from Native Americans. Whether by food, clothing, or art, take this month to discover more about one of our most fascinating and tradition-rich people groups.
Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery
It’s that time of year again. On Sunday, November 6, enjoy an extra hour of sleep as we fall back from Daylight Savings Time. Make sure to remind your employees to set their clocks back, so they can’t use it as an excuse to snooze in on Monday. Firefighters also say this is a great time to change the batteries in all of your smoke detectors. So put a couple of able-bodies in charge of the change, and don’t forget to set your clocks back!
Raise Eyes, Raise Awareness
Okay, so No-Shave November may not be the most professional thing to do this month, but it has its roots in a great cause. Thousands of people celebrate it to raise awareness of male diseases like prostate and testicular cancer. November is a great opportunity to raise awareness for lung cancer, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, Alzheimer’s, and many others. Have your department pick an illness to sponsor and do something creative to promote the cause. Don’t worry – it doesn’t have to involve facial hair.
Share the Harvest
At the end of the month, most of us eat enough calories to last well past winter hibernation. With turkey, ham, pumpkin pie and the rest of the buffet all-stars, we usually have more than enough food. One way to build unity and help empty the pantry is to have a food drive at the office. Place your employees into a few groups and compete to see how many non-perishables everyone can gather for the local food bank. You will help the less fortunate and have plenty of fun along the way.
Embrace the Season
Thanksgiving season is when we focus on what we are thankful for and what matters the most to us. This month, make an effort to tell each of your employees what you appreciate about them. Whether it is saying how impressed you’ve been with the way they handled their last project or how thankful you are for the extra work they put in, encouragement goes a long way in boosting office morale.
I bring breakfast to the office every Friday morning. The staff enjoyes and I try to make different choices.
Just a reminder that Thanksgiving has historically been a time of thanking God for his blessings. It is a time to thank God for what matters most to us. We would do well to remember that it is the LORD God who gives us all we need, including our businesses and jobs. Thanksgiving was not created to be a time for generic thankfulness.