Everyone in the workplace is scrambling to get as much work done as they can in the next week, so that they can enjoy Thanksgiving with a clear head. During the holiday, you may watch football, stuff yourself on turkey, and pass out on the couch. You may even find time to watch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”, which has some lessons that you can take back to your job on Monday.
1. Holidays create more work for everyone. Sally complains that she doesn’t like Thanksgiving because it means more work for her to do at school. Let’s face it, she’s right. Whenever we have a shortened week at work, it actually feels like two full weeks. Something about holidays seems to create more work for everyone in the office.
2. When you whisper sweet nothings in your coworker’s ear, make sure that no one else is around. When Peppermint Patty calls Charlie Brown to invite herself over for Thanksgiving dinner, she asks him if anyone is around. She wants to make sure that she has some privacy as she whispers sweet nothings into Chuck’s ear. With all of the talk about workplace sex scandals, that is good advice for anyone who wants to romance a coworker to heed.
3. Teamwork can get impossible jobs done. Charlie Brown has three uninvited dinner guests coming over for Thanksgiving, and all he knows how to cook is toast. But with the help of Snoopy, Woodstock, and Linus, he is able to put together a Thanksgiving dinner—albeit a modest one. Be sure to ask for help in the workplace whenever you can.
4. Whistle while you work. As Snoopy and Woodstock help Charlie Brown with his big dinner, they find time to get in a game of table tennis. In the workplace, try to do what you can to make your job enjoyable—or at least bearable.
5. You don’t want to be the one who acts up at the office party. Peppermint Patty is not happy with the Thanksgiving spread that Charlie Brown offered to her and she is very vocal about it. Although it’s tempting to speak your mind and let it all hang out at the office party, chances are that you’ll never live it down. It’s best to continue drinking and hold your tongue.
6. Some people cannot work outside of their element. When Peppermint Patty is taken to task for complaining about the dinner that she invited herself to, she says “Why can’t I act right outside of a baseball game?”. These kinds of people are also in the workplace: They are very good at certain tasks, but when you try to get them to do something else, they are utterly useless.
7. Delegate the hard jobs whenever you can. Peppermint Patty knows that she owes Charlie Brown an apology because of her outburst, but she just can’t bring herself to do it. She enlists Marcie to do her dirty work for her—and whenever you can in the workplace, so should you.
The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa is showing “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” every day if you want to check it out—along with some great exhibits.
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