Christmas Carol Coaching – Help Get Through the Holidays!
I have always been fascinated by situations where art imitates real life and right here is a perfect example that connects Christmas, business and personal development.
If you want to read about a serious piece of shrewd people management (bordering on potential litigation); a man who floats with the world and himself; shown how to do it through three visionary experiences (and with a brilliant example of supportive team building thrown in); and then the best Christmas “shift”? All of these are brilliantly described for your seasonal reading pleasure ‘Christmas song’ by Charles Dickens.
Here, Dickens brings out all these wonderful examples and takes us through Scrooge’s life, ending with an exemplary and joyful outcome for a man whose life has changed for the better forever (despite years and years of baggage).
From the beginning of how not to treat your “team” (“You’ll want whole (Christmas) day (holiday) tomorrow, I guess? – and I especially like the image of the poor clerk warming himself with a candle!) through the lonely table on Christmas Eve; experiencing the initial appearance of Jacob Marley as his knocker on the front door (what is the light emanating from a ‘bad lobster in a dark cellar’?), the reader then experiences Scrooge transported through great examples of learning through visits from the three ‘ghosts’ – an exploration, in turn, of his lost childhood, an example of how to really motivate and celebrate with your team of employees (the wonderful “boss” Fezziwig) – and an understanding of what you might be missing out on in your life if you don’t act now. Discover the analogies for yourself in a read that will only take you an afternoon by a cozy fire – perhaps with some mulled wine!
And once you’ve considered this Dickens novel, how many other works of fiction can be considered part of the world of Coaches?
I’ve found over the years, through my love of reading, that there are many people skills issues that are highlighted or need to be interpreted by the world of fiction (not forgetting the movie – what brilliant metaphors for management skills in “A Bug’s Life” or how to motivate a recalcitrant group as Mel Gibson did in ‘Braveheart’, to name a few). In almost every book you read or movie you watch, if you look at the larger context, there is richness to be seen. Many of them are worth enjoying and, when appropriate, sharing with colleagues and friends, just to see the situation from a different angle.
Take a break and enjoy ‘Christmas song’ at this seasonal time of year – oh yes and have a great holiday!
Enjoy the book and feel free to let me know any other examples you’d like to share that I’d like to read myself!
#Christmas #Carol #Coaching #Holidays
