During a heated discussion on reward and recognition, my friend Julie, who works for a charitable art foundation, said something that captured my curiosity.
“I would rather get a holiday party than a holiday bonus.”
Her theory was, a check for a thousand bucks could buy a lot of cool stuff. But a night of celebration could deepen intimacy, create memories and build friendships that last forever. To Julie, that was worth a lot more.
Of course, that’s just one person’s opinion. She values belonging and connection over money, but I imagine all of her coworkers wouldn’t automatically agree with her.
And they shouldn’t, either. They’re human beings. Each person speaks a different love language. And if we want them to stick around, people ought to be paid in their preferred currency.
Me, I would have taken the holiday party.
