Trade-offs and Triumphs 20 by @jennykim
Issue 20: The COVID Version of the Office Holiday Party; COVID and Midlife Crisis; and A Quick Non-Sequitur About the Value of Wrapping Holiday Presents
Hello, friends! Thank you to my 117 subscribers, and welcome to my new subscribers!
Welcome to issue 20!
How was your week? What were your trade-offs and triumphs?
For those celebrating Hanukkah, Happy Hanukkah!
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
This week, we will hit on:
The COVID Version of the Holiday Office Party
The COVID Version of the Midlife Crisis
Robots, AI, and Moral Decisions
A Quick Non-Sequitur About the Value of Wrapping Holiday Presents
For those who want a quick summary on issue 20 - hit “play.”
Thank you Cam Houser, Julia Saxena, and all of my Minimum Viable Video cohort-mates.
The COVID Version of the Holiday Office Party
Courtesy of Morning Brew (aff), I was forced to think about the office holiday party, and how COVID this year has changed this tried and true tradition as well. According to a survey earlier this fall, only 23% of companies said they were planning a holiday party, down from nearly 76% last year. And, most would be virtual events.
Myself personally, I enjoyed attending the office holiday party just for the people watching. Because I am in a satellite office, our office holiday party often had non-company guests as well, and it is always interesting to meet the better half of your work colleagues.
Until it hit me that this year it probably will be virtual. No people watching this year.
So how are other companies dealing with this tried and true tradition of the office holiday party when people are tired of virtual video calls, whether it be Zoom, Teams, or Google Hangout?
In-person options per The New York Times
A decorated double-decker bus will picking up employees and each will be handed kits containing pre-packaged snacks, rubber gloves, hand sanitizer, and a themed face mask (which must be worn at all times); employees will be served cocktails and all can belt out their favorite karaoke tunes while holding the microphone with their gloved hands; no guests permitted at this exclusive event
Santa delivering warm brownies, hot chocolate, and a link to a playlist of holiday tunes to employees’ residences
Outdoor scavenger hunt; each guest will be given a pair of binoculars to encourage social distancing and company-branded masks
Building an ice-skating rink in the parking lot of a corporation
Creating a drive-in retro diner
And if in-person is just too risky even with the interesting options 👆, then there are the virtual options courtesy of The Wall Street Journal
The Ugly Sweater contest conducted with a $500 prize during a holiday party hosted at a virtual ski lodge - attendees could click on different tables to move around and video chat with colleagues
Wall Street Journal: The Office Christmas Party Is Still On—and More Awkward Than Ever - WSJ. Select your avatars to mingle and to dance on the beach (preprogrammed) and watch a comedy show - attendees could only hear each other’s voices if their avatars were near each other
The Wall Street Journal The Office Christmas Party Is Still On—and More Awkward Than Ever - WSJ Making paper snowflakes together and playing trivia games virtually
So tell me, is your company holding an office holiday party this year?
If so, what will your company be doing?
All comments are welcome below, or you can DM me on Twitter @jennykim.
I look forward to hearing to from you!
The COVID Version of the Midlife Crisis
We’ve all heard about the midlife crisis.
I personally often think about people who suddenly purchase spiffy cars, get new haircuts, dump their life partner, quit their jobs, and go for the open road. I did not generally have the sense that there was a deliberate understanding of informed trade-offs when the emotions hit.
But COVID has triggered its own version of the financial midlife crisis and a re-examining of the pre-COVID personal and professional trajectories. Were they sustainable and did it leave you with anything?
Covid-19 has disrupted professional trajectories, forcing people to focus on other areas of life — perhaps for the first time in years…
“Having more time for sleep, friends, family and just thinking can be wonderful if one has an identity outside of their career,” he said. “But it can be hell on earth if they don’t.”
Many have wrestled with these questions - one perspective I found illuminating personally was Michael Ashcroft’s most recent newsletter, “Thinking Out Loud No. 31.” He explained how 2020 has been a year of self-discovery and how he learned how to discover rather than to design his creativity - only by moving, could he discover himself.
COVID has forced us to figure out our trade-offs instead of just blindly following the road that we think has been set for us. What energizes us and brings us joy? What are we good at? What aspects of our personal life should we care and tend to before time slips away, and regrets are too late?
And why do we sometimes feel more empty when professional achievements arrive?
For those who are feeling that something is not right and some type of change may be required - as Nick deWilde recommends, first, experiment, ask a lot of questions, and start with side projects. And, understand and nurture your emotional reactions to these experiments - be an archaeologist.
So how has COVID affected you personally and professionally?
Join others who have shared publicly how COVID has impacted them and how they are finding “abundance” instead in this new normal.
Check out Project Regrowth.
As always, feel free to leave a comment below.
A Quick Non-Sequitur About the Value of Wrapping Holiday Presents
Charlie Bleecker writes about the most important issues in life - cookies, crazy parents, Hallmark Christmas movies, and being ok with not being ok. Check out her newsletter, Transparent Tuesdays, to read more and also to get her terrific chocolate chip cookie recipe.
This week, Charlie asked yet another profound question: “why do people dislike wrapping presents?”
Me personally? It’s because my wrapped presents look ugly, especially next to my father’s, whose presents are always perfectly wrapped.
But aside from the aesthetics question, Ravi Raman raised a great point about waste of resources just for something that will be ripped off:
But as only a true executive coach can, Ravi also demonstrated that he understood both sides of the wrapping presents debate: he presented the beautifully wrapped presents under his family’s Christmas tree - courtesy of his wife and his mother-in-law.
And of course it looks gorgeous!
Sometimes, a little waste can lead to a lot of happiness. You just have to decide which waste is worth the momentary happiness - trade-offs.
BUT - What is your opinion on wrapping presents?
Have any questions or comments? You can find me on Twitter @jennykim or email me at jennykimwop@gmail.com
Check out my website for more: puttingittogether.blog
No lie as a trade-off is ever worth the temporary illusion of triumph. Keep on cultivating that rubber ball heart.
And, find that trade-off that will lead to triumph this week, no matter how small, and celebrate it.
See you next week!