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Yesterday was my dear friend Amy’s birthday. Since her special day is on the first, she has appropriated all of September as her birthday month, celebrating accordingly. Personally, I’ve never been a big birthday person, and acknowledging my own has become less and less important to me the older I’ve gotten. But Amy’s attitude of celebration has gotten me thinking about how we celebrate (or don’t) in the workplace. I’m not talking about balloons or cake or gifts – though those are all good things – but rather about acknowledgment, recognition, and appreciation for achievements in the (virtual or physical) office.
I’m going on vacation next week – YIPPEE! It’s not anywhere fancy, just the beach (though the North Carolina coast is pretty incredible), but this will be the first time I have taken off more than two continuous business days in a year. And I am pretty darn excited. Each year, a group of friends and I celebrate the end of summer with a weeklong beach vacation where all professional (and some personal) responsibilities are checked at the door. No work emails, no work calls, no work period.
About a month ago, I wrote a blog post entitled The Hardest Job I Ever Had. I have to admit that I was unprepared for the outpouring of emails and phone calls from CEOs and EDs that followed. They told me how the article resonated with them, recounted the variety of activities they do on a daily basis, and talked about their feelings of isolation. They also offered great advice. So, this post is dedicated to sharing their words.
With respect to work, I am what author Po Bronson calls a journeyer in his book What Should I Do with My Life? For me, that has meant pursuing several different – and at the time, fulfilling – careers. These include having spent significant time as a management consultant, information technology director, retail store owner, commercial freelance writer, nonprofit executive director, and now as a consultant in the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors.
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