With the holiday season rapidly approaching, many people feel the stress as they try to get everything done within the shorter workweeks of November and December.
Kenya McCullum is a freelance writer and wrote two articles for the Interpersonal Relationships Examiner with her interpretations of "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving". The first article, "7 Interpersonal relationship lessons from 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving'" was touched upon in a prior blog post. (click here)
Kenya also wrote an article titled, "7 Workplace lessons from 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving'".
The Peanut's cartoons have valuable messages behind the actions and personalities of the characters. If watching "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" is a yearly tradition in your household, pay close attention to the wisdom Charles M. Schulz weaves throughout his stories.
1. Holidays create more work for everyone.
Sally complains that holidays just mean more schoolwork to cram into a shorter week. We often say we have to pay the price for any time off, be it a holiday or personal vacation.
2. When you whisper sweet nothings in your coworker's ear, make sure that no one else is around.
When Peppermint Patty invites herself over to Charlie Brown's house for dinner she checks to see if anyone is listening in on their conversation. Any workplace can be a setting for gossip and the possibility of bits of overheard dialogue misinterpreted. Lesson hear is to be careful with personal conduct amidst coworkers.
3. Teamwork can get impossible jobs done.
Charlie Brown was at a loss as to how to cook a dinner, but with the help of his friends he was able to focus and put together some form of a meal. A good manager knows to encourage teamwork and delegate assignments to those most capable for that particular project. An employee who is resistant in asking for advice or help when overwhelmed puts himself/herself at risk for burnout and a low performance rating.
4. Whistle while you work.
Snoopy and Woodstock find a little time amidst the workload of dinner preparations to play a game. Any type of career choice eventually loses its novelty and becomes just a job. Try to find ways to make the work more enjoyable and stimulating.
5. You don't want to be the one who acts up at the office party.
Peppermint Patty is not happy with the Thanksgiving meal and vocally lets everyone around her know about it. Even within the aggressive, competitive environment of the business world, there is a fine line between confidence and just being rude. It is acceptable to speak your mind but timing is everything and nothing can ruin a party setting faster than a clueless guest who makes those around him/her uncomfortable.
6. Some people cannot work outside of their element.
When made aware of her behavior, Peppermint Patty sums it up by exclaiming that she just can't function outside of a baseball game environment. Employers look for well-rounded people who are capable of multitasking and able to handle the stress of the unexpected. Problem solving and dealing with people successfully makes for a very valuable employee.
7. Delegate the hard jobs whenever you can.
Peppermint Patty isn't totally clueless about her behavior but she has issues with admitting her mistakes and offering an apology. It takes confidence and courage to be the better person and face up to our mistakes by making peace with the offended person(s). Getting others to do our dirty work for us is frowned upon, even if that person has the authority to delegate the job to someone else.
Thank you to Kenya for helping us watch this favorite show with a new perspective!
Perhaps your input will put a smile on the faces of those who feel overworked or unappreciated in their field of work.
Enjoy your holiday with all the food, family, friends and football.
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