Celebrate

The Timeless Custom of Giving Thanks

/ Ken Blanchard

This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. As I was growing up, Thanksgiving was always a big deal in our family. To honor the day, my father loved to read part of a 1936 Thanksgiving Proclamation by Wilbur L. Cross, the Governor of Connecticut. As I got older, I memorized the opening lines:

“Time out of mind at this turn of the seasons, when the hardy oak leaves rustle in the wind and the frost gives a tang to the air and the dusk falls early and the friendly evenings lengthen under the heel of Orion, it has seemed good to our people to join together in praising the Creator and Preserver, who has brought us by a way that we did not know to the end of another year. In observance of this custom, I appoint Thursday, the twenty-sixth of November, as a day of Public Thanksgiving.”

Celebrating the bounty of the autumn harvest was a tradition long before America came into being. Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans gave thanks to the gods at this time of year. Even before those civilizations, the Chinese celebrated the fall harvest during the ancient Shang dynasty. So, this custom of giving thanks for blessings goes way back in time.

I love Thanksgiving because it’s all about gratitude. You don’t have to give gifts – you just give thanks for the people and things that make life worth living.

So, wherever you are, give thanks this week. Tell the people in your life how grateful you are for them. Take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate all that you’ve been given.

Life is an extra special occasion when you are thankful for who you love and those who love you. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Take Time to Build Meaningful Connections

/ Ken Blanchard

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve probably heard me say “The best minute of the day is the one you invest in your people.” Why do I believe that? Because leaders who invest time in their people are building meaningful connections. Those connections create inspired people and inspired leaders who benefit from those great relationships, and achieve great results, together.

Leadership is not about you. It’s about the people you are trying to influence. The more you understand about your direct reports, the better you’ll be able to help them achieve their goals. Taking time to work side by side with a direct report to determine their development level on a task lets them know you are interested in meeting them where they are. And it allows you to use the right leadership style, with the right amount of direction and support, to help that person get to the next level.

Here’s another way you can take time to build a meaningful connection with each of your people: schedule one-on-one meetings where the direct report sets the agenda. These meetings don’t use up a lot of work time—just twenty to thirty minutes every other week. There’s no better way to show someone you care about them as a person than to set aside time to chat about anything they wish. It’s a great opportunity for both manager and direct report to speak openly with one another without interference or judgment. This leads to a trusting relationship that generates respect, loyalty, and accountability on both sides.

And don’t forget to take time to celebrate people’s talents, skills, and successes. Celebration doesn’t have to mean a big, expensive party. It can be as small as taking one person aside and praising them for their input at a meeting. It can be as quiet as sending someone a gift card in appreciation for the role they played on a special team. Or it can be as grand as allowing everyone in the department to stop working two hours early on a Friday afternoon. Celebration lets people know they are doing things right. It builds morale and camaraderie. And—let’s face it—it’s fun!

So take time to let your people know you’re glad they are with you. You see their gifts and also their potential. You want them to win. And you’re there to help them achieve their goals. Take time to build those meaningful connections. It’s the best investment you’ll ever make.

Happy Families are No Accident

/ Ken Blanchard

Years ago, Peter Drucker said “Nothing good happens by accident—put some structure around it!” So if you want something good to happen, put some structure around it. This doesn’t just apply to business; it’s also for family life. I can name several traditions that are perfect examples of Drucker’s line of thinking.

 

Like many families, we like to get together on every family member’s birthday. As part of the celebration we all sit at the dinner table and, one by one, tell the birthday person what we like about them. Our kids Scott and Debbie used to protest this tradition, but today they encourage their kids to take part in it, too. It’s an easy thing to do and a great way to make someone feel extra special on their special day.

 

Here’s another Blanchard tradition: every Christmas Day, between dinner and dessert, all our family and friends who are gathered share something special with everyone. They can sing a song, recite a poem, or tell us something important in their lives. This not only delights all those who are gathered, it makes the day more memorable and meaningful.

 

We know several couples who plan a date night at least once every two weeks. They make a rule that they can’t talk about work or the kids—only about their relationship. “How are we doing with each other?” If every couple did that 26 times a year, I guarantee there would be a lot fewer divorces.

 

Structure also helps our family business. You may or may not know this, but The Ken Blanchard Companies is family owned. Margie and I cofounded the company almost forty years ago—and Scott, Debbie, and Margie’s younger brother, Tom, joined the company around twenty years later. Sometimes family businesses work well and sometimes they don’t. We didn’t want to run the risk that our family business would mess up our family, so Scott had the idea that the five of us should meet one day every quarter with an outside consultant/facilitator. And what a great idea it was! We’ve been holding our “Family Council” meetings for a number of years now. More recently, Tom’s wife, Jill, and Scott’s wife, Madeleine, have joined us. We all know it’s due in no small part to these meetings that we still love each other and often vacation together, even though we work together almost every day.

 

So follow Drucker’s advice. If you want good things to happen, put some structure in place—it’s as easy as starting a few simple family traditions. When families find new ways to celebrate their positive relationships, life gets more enjoyable.

 

The Importance of Celebration

/ Ken Blanchard / 1 Comment

All the December holidays are a time of great joy, but they can also be a time of great stress as people try to balance work, family, and extra activities. I encourage you to focus on the celebration part of the season instead of the stress.

You don’t have to do something outrageous to celebrate—in fact, sometimes the smallest gestures have the most meaning. And don’t forget to take a few minutes for yourself during all the hustle and bustle—sit quietly with a cup of tea, take a short walk, or watch your favorite holiday movie. Just make time to do something that brings joy to your life.

Watch the short video below to hear about a special tradition we have at our company to celebrate this fabulous season. People look forward to this event for weeks and share stories from past years over and over. This small tradition builds a strong sense of community among our staff, and it is just plain fun.

I hope you find a way to treat yourself this year while you celebrate with friends and family all that is good in your lives! Happy Holidays!