The single most important thing to do at work before 2018

We are approaching the end of an eventful year full of twists and turns on political, economic and social fronts. It is also that time of the year when we are all thinking of vacations, spending quality time with our families and friends, and enjoying a week or two away from work. And it’s a time to be thankful for all the relationships that we have. But what about those who helped us get to where we are? Do we spend time during our holiday season thanking our colleagues? Is thanking your mentor, a part of your holiday tradition?

Robust Relationships – Bedrock of success

Robust relationships (professional and personal) are the foundation upon which success is built. Open communication and mutual trust between partners goes a long way in building strong relationships. While we strive to build these relationships with our near and dear ones, we sometimes miss out on our colleagues. Healthy relationships are imperative to great work since it is difficult to achieve anything without a capable support system. Your team-mates, co-workers, collaborators, managers, various skilled support staff all contribute to your growth and success.

Gratitude needs to be personal

nanos gigantum humeris insidentes

Bernard of Chartres pointed out that we see more and farther than our predecessors, not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted up and borne aloft on their gigantic stature.

We all have such ‘giants’ in our lives to whom we are grateful. And what better way to express gratitude than our own voice sharing how we feel. Nothing makes a message more personal – no amount of emoticons or smileys can ever match up to the warmth of your voice.

One phone number provides a hundred smiles

We dedicated a toll-free phone number using Freshcaller for callers within our organization to leave secret voice messages for their colleagues. The impact of these short and sweet voice messages surprised us. The recipients labeled us ‘Messengers of Joy’ for this initiative. Needless to say, most recipients hunted down and hugged the message-givers. We managed to capture some of those moments in the video below.

Holiday season with colleagues

We are happy to offer our phone number to all professionals in various startups, teams, and enterprises across the world to spread this joy at your workplace. Your act of thanking will go a long way in cheering up your colleague. We have witnessed it first-hand and are eager to spread it across the world.

To spread happiness at your workplace, you just have to do the following:

  1. Submit your colleague’s email address in this Freshcaller Christmas form
  2. Make a phone call to +18772682506 and leave a voice message

We would love to hear about any holiday initiatives that you have tried out at work to spread some joy, like what we have done here at Freshworks.

Every call made, will spread some joy. So do leave a voice message about your favorite colleagues and celebrate this holiday season together. Happy Holidays!

PS: If you are living outside the U.S, and are worried about making an international voice call, sign up for a free Freshcaller trial account using your work email address.

Illustration by Nikhil Kanda