Thankful for... Thanksgiving Eve Traditions

There’s a moment, on Thanksgiving Eve, that is one of my favorite moments of the year. I’ll tell you all about it—but first, some context.

There is an akhia tradition that everyone enjoys—regardless if it’s their first day on the job or if they’ve been here since day one. We call it the ‘Thankful for…’ email. It’s simple and exactly as it sounds—you send an email listing the things you’re thankful for.

I have been a part of this since I joined the company in 2000. I’m not sure how it started, who started it or anything like that. I can just tell you … it’s a crowd favorite.

Now, you’ve heard that Thanksgiving Eve is the busiest bar night of the year. (It’s also one of the most underrated nights in the NBA.) However, I spend it at home as it’s my personal tradition to watch “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” (My wife always says she’ll watch it with me, then falls asleep right around the time Neal is singing “Three Coins in the Fountain.”)

As the movie is winding down, and I’ve enjoyed a few holiday brews, I look forward to that scene where Neal and Del are walking down the street, carrying that trunk that we now know contains all of Del’s possessions, as Paul Young’s “Everytime You Go Away” plays. And as we have the classic 80s freeze-frame ending of Del gripping his hat and smiling I open up my computer and read all of the thankful emails and reply to each.

Why?

The answer is pretty easy, right? Because today, as analytics and data dominate our businesses, it’s still about the people. And it’s still about the simple things. It’s important to like who you work for … but I think it’s critical to love who you work with.