As we plunge headfirst into the holidays, we find many reminders that the meaning of the season goes beyond gifts and material things. Although that can be difficult for some to grasp (I personally know some wee ones who struggle with this at times!) this is an important lesson to be recognized in HR as well when it comes to the work we do.
There are times when a new program, initiative, or idea gets rolling in an organization. It is rare that these things start without knowing the true meaning and the hoped for results that we want. However, in our quest to be all things to all people, we take these and add bows or tinsel to pretty things up and grab attention. While some of this is needed to ensure that the message gets through, there are too many of these efforts that become so focused on the presentation or wrapping that we lose the original meaning and cannot achieve the desired end result. The flash becomes the message and the true meaning gets lost. Although a pretty presentation is nice to look at, does it adequately convey the information that needs to be shared? Even the prettiest wrapping cannot save you from horrible content!
A real gift for your intended audience is your willingness to spend your valuable time enhancing the program to be launched instead of hours upon hours tweaking the presentation. Go forth and do good things!
