The holidays are upon us and with them come many traditions. What are your Thanksgiving traditions? My thirty-five-year-old son plays “turkey football” every Thanksgiving morning with his high school friends. Do you serve the customary Thanksgiving dinner, watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, or observe customs from your family background or culture?
Traditions are Systems
When you repeat any activity because it gives you good results, you have created a system. All family traditions are systems put in place to produce expected happy results. Great families create, borrow, or pass down traditions from one generation to another.
This summer, our family set up an outdoor theater in the backyard to show family videos I’ve created over the years. Everyone had a great time laughing and remembering the good old days. We decided to make it an annual tradition.
What are Your Business Traditions?
Good businesses also create traditions that customers or employees enjoy and anticipate with eagerness. My employees loved pizza days to celebrate success. Some businesses have dress-down Fridays, a summer picnic, or a Christmas party. My son-in-law rents a theater for his customers just before the public showing of a blockbuster movie. Companies often have traditional sales promotions that customers look forward to—sidewalk sales, dollar days, and midnight specials.
These are all business systems. They are anticipated. They are fun. They get results. They become more popular over time. Traditions strengthen the bonds between the company and its customers or employees. They energize people and foster creativity and excitement.
Good traditions will set your company apart in the marketplace and add pizzazz to your business culture.
Next time you are in the Zone, consider starting one new business tradition. Better yet, invite a secretary or a small committee to come up with some ideas.
Once you implement a good system, it is a marvel to watch it consistently accomplish exactly what you planned!
And don’t forget the always appropriate tradition of expressing gratitude. There is much to be thankful for; wouldn’t you agree?
Happy Thanksgiving,
Ron
