Thanks to a client this holiday season, I learned about the
“Elf on a Shelf” tradition.
For families that celebrate Christmas, these elves watch the children in a home and then report to Santa about the kids’ behavior, namely whether the children are being ‘naughty or nice.’
Who’s the elf on the shelf for adults?
I don’t know and I’m not volunteering for a new assignment. However, I will offer that I’ve observed three naughty behaviors this past year. They include:
1. Recruiting interns to work for “the experience” without pay or school credit.
Can we say “exploitation”?
Why do we expect McDonald’s to pay its workers, but some of us think these rules don’t apply to communication professionals who need outside help? Don’t we value communication work?
2. Using others’ copyrighted work without attribution.
Can we say “plagiarism”?
Borrowing others’ work as is or making “improvements” to it without attribution is stealing, which is against the law. We in the communications profession should be role modeling ethical and legal behavior, especially if we sport an “ABC,” “APR” or some other credential after our name.
3. Complaining about being stuck in a cube and not being able to get out and about.
Can we say “victim mentality”?
Who’s to stop you from meeting colleagues from other departments for lunch? Or even eating at the company cafeteria in another location? Or working out of another office for a few days every now and then and talking to co-workers there? True, you may not be able to do a world tour of all your company locations without permission. However, you’re probably not chained to your desk. And getting out and about will give you some great insights, ideas, and information from others that will help you in your job.
For the communication bosses out there, make sure you’re not sending signals that your employees need a hall pass to leave the department.
As for the nice behavior, I want to compliment:
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Several participants of my fall Strategic Communication Action Group who challenged themselves, got out of their comfort zones, and tried new things in the spirit of professional development and continuous improvement. One is ending the year in a new and bigger job, which is a much better fit for her talents.
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The volunteers, including board members, of our professional associations who spend a lot of hours, brain power, and energy trying to help the rest of us improve our skills, network effectively, and maintain our professional standards.
3. Mark Schumann, past chair of the IABC Executive Board, for his 2010 carol for communicators. This is a great example of a fearless communicator in action!
What have
you done this year that’s naughty and nice? To help you reflect, you can use this thorough
tool that
Lynn Scheurell, the creative catalyst designed.
Meanwhile, happy holidays and a wonderful 2011.
On January 13, I invite you to join Sreejit Mohan and me 13 for the Communitelligence webinar,
Changing Your Game: Moving from the Tactical to the Strategic to Become a Player/Coach.
Then on February 4, the Winter 2011 session of my
Strategic Communication Action Group starts. The group is limited to 10 individuals to allow for optimal participation and development. Contact me at
liz.guthridge@connectconsultinggroup.com for more information.
Liz Guthridge is a consultant, author, and trainer specializing in strategic change communications. Department leaders of Fortune 1000 companies hire Liz and her firm Connect Consulting Group LLC when they need their people—who are confused, angry or in denial—to adopt complex new initiatives so they can quickly change the way they work. After working with Liz, leaders reach their goals and employees have clarity, become committed, and take action. For more information, contact Liz, liz.guthridge@connectconsultinggroup.com or 510-527-1213. Follow Liz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/lizguthridge.
