A New Spin on Holiday Giving
As we approach another year in the books, I want to reflect on the true, exponential value of gratitude. And while the holiday season offers a wonderful context and launch-pad for us to celebrate the gift of giving, I also want to encourage you to carry it beyond the holiday, to untether it from New Year’s resolutions, and to find ways to make it part of the day-to-day rhythm of life.
Last year, The Select Group provided a Gift of Giving incentive: $100 was given to each employee to do something nice for someone else, and to tell the company about how they used the money. Stories were shared and celebrated, and one selected story received an additional $1,000 for the giver to donate to the charity of their choice. The stories and the incredible company attitude about the program brought tears to many peoples’ eyes.
What It’s All About
Most impressive to me? Most of the recipients of the Gift were people that the givers had already been “giving” to for a long time. These were not random contributions based on a Google search for charities. Our employees had long-standing relationships with people who needed help, and had been getting to know them, giving to them, and investing in their well-being throughout the year—friends with cancer; associates who had lost their jobs at the worst possible time; families who had lost their homes; church members making a difference for even more people; children who had lost their parents (including a TSG co-worker).
I have never been more proud to be part of a company that aimed to make such a difference in so many lives. This is the work of people caring for other people, and it is great and noble work. Readers, if you want to be inspired about the multiplying positive effect of a program like this, add a comment below or send me a LinkedIn message and I will share the stories with you. TSG has kicked off our Gift of Giving campaign for 2016 and we are excited to see the impact we will have this year.
It has been wonderful to see other touching programs you also may consider. Look for The White Envelope Project and you’ll see what I mean. Another gift of giving approach that may provide more to the giver than the recipient. Powerful, poignant, perfect.
Positively Impacting Lives
When all is said and done, the mark we leave on the world may be temporary—a whiteboard marker written and erased with a swipe—or it can be indelible: a heartfelt gesture etched in the heart of another, never to be forgotten. What will your mark be this season? More importantly, will you etch more hearts, impact more lives, and celebrate the human spirit in 2017 and beyond?
Best holiday wishes from all of us at The Select Group. May next year be your best, and you daily find a gift to give to someone else.
This post is from our CXO Blog series, written by Jeff Zirker, our Chief Experience Officer (CXO). See the rest of his collection here.
About the Author:
Jeff Zirker started with TSG in 2015 after more than 22 years with a leading U.S. technology company. His passion for people has led to the implementation of new processes and programs across the company designed to enhance customer experience. No stranger to adventure, Jeff once spent two weeks on an uninhabited Hawaiian island.