Celebrate Arrivals and Departures In Business and at Work

In the whirlwind of 4th quarter business events with the goal of culminating in an equally frenzied pitch to photo-finish before the winter holidays, I attended a farewell celebration last week for Carolyn Jones, the long-tenured Publisher of the Albany Business Review. After serving our market for 28 years, Carolyn was promoted last month to be the Publisher of the Boston Business Journal. She will be sorely missed; however, it was completely awesome to see a talented woman who worked her butt off for 28 years score a promotion (and the recognition thereof) of this magnitude. The event – good food, good company, heartfelt speeches, and copies of key issues of the Business Review from the last 17 years laid out on a table for us to sign as Carolyn’s time capsule / yearbook – was lovely, and an honor to witness. It was a best-practice departure celebration for a respected professional.

On a smaller scale, the celebration for Carolyn reminded me of my first day working onsite with my client The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group as their HR Consultant. As I approached the door to their office, this sign was hanging on the wall:

That small, brightly colored gesture delighted me to no end – I did feel most welcome, indeed. It made such a positive impression on me that the sign continues to live on the back of my office door – and it makes me smile every time I see it.

What are your best practices for celebrating arrivals and departures that engage joy in business and at work?