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      KEYZINE: An e-zine for LEADERS:
     ABOUT THE PEOPLE PART OF BUSINESS
                 Volume 33, December 2003
    Publisher: © Key Associates, 2003
              ISSN # 1545-8873
           http://www.mkkey.com

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New contact info for Key Associates:
phone (615) 665-1622/fax (615) 665-8902

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This Issue: On "The Gift"

View Earlier Issues

Contents:

• What's Hot in Leadership
• Maintaining Yourself as a Leader
• Frequently Asked Questions from Leaders
• Educational Opportunities
• Useful Websites
• Articles/Publications

"Love is, above all, the gift of oneself." 
                                                        - Jean Anouilh

"The great art of giving consists in this: the gift 
should cost very little and yet be greatly coveted, 
so that it may be the more highly appreciated."

                                              - Baltasar Gracian

"The only gift is a portion of thyself."
                                                         - Ralph Waldo Emerson     

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WHAT'S HOT IN LEADERSHIP
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APPROPRIATE GIVING REQUIRES
READING THE CULTURE .  HONOR
ITS TRADITIONS.

REGARD CANNOT BE BOUGHT BUT
CAN ONLY BE GIVEN.

GIFTS ARE SYMBOLS, PHYSICAL SIGNS 
OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS-- 
SEEN NOT ONLY IN OBJECTS BUT IN 
WORDS AND ACTS.

USE SIMPLE, MEANINGFUL SYMBOLS
AND CONFER THEM WITH PASSION.

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MAINTAINING YOURSELF AS A LEADER
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For people in a leadership role, this is a season 
of giving--often to many people.  Here is an 
opportunity to convey your regard with authenticity.

If uncertain, enlist the help of others--like
Ben & Jerry's Joy Gang.  Give a gift certificate
to a place that has a wide selection.  

The gift per se is not the focus, but the spirit in 
which it is given.  Think of ways you can 
demonstrate appreciation--in writing, speaking,
and insight into others' lives and challenges.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What do you do to avoid getting the shower
of un-needed and un-wanted gifts?  

Start a new tradition.  Tell everyone that what 
you want is a donation to your charities.  They 
get the write-off and the pleasure of giving the
perfect gift.  You'll feel it's the best present ever.

I need a shot of creativity in my gift-giving.

Use intuition, imagination and connection-making:

• Think of new uses for old things (barb wire wreathes).
• Shop out of their discipline (an emergency kit).
• Cut and paste (assemble an entire meal in a basket).
• Roam an art gallery (art cards with arty stamps to go with).
• Guided visualization--take a trip through their life and make it easier (babysitting or cleaning help).
• State an assumption about the person and reverse it (jumper cables for ladies).
• Open a dictionary and use random words as stimulators. 
• What gifts do gifts need?  (Gift wrap, scissors, cards, beads, ornaments, containers).
• Cross the senses.  What looks good and smells good and tastes good? (citrus)
• Use humor--start laughing and see what ideas come up.
• Catalogue shop (see links below) for ideas.
• Before sleeping, set yourself to dream on it.
• Brainstorm--think of lots of ideas before converging on a few.
• Lose fear--who cares if it's appropriate.  All ideas are acceptable.

Holiday ceremonies are a challenge for me.  I dread the lifeless
office party, the punch and cookies and excess politeness.

There is one celebration that seems to work well 
for most people, "Workplace Altruism."  Do something
as a group for others.  Doing good in the world
is a powerful catalyst for collective energy; people can 
celebrate by exuding kindness to those who need a 
boost in life.

* Serenade the residents of a nursing home
* Make and serve a meal for the homeless together
* Invite your customers to a party and celebrate them.
* Volunteer to complete a community project
* Dream up random acts of kindness, carry them out
and create a company photo album of the deeds.

And give people the time off to do it.

The Queen-pin of bringing your values to work 
in socially-conscious enterprise is Anita Roddick 
of The Body Shop.

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EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
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Read Corporate Celebration, 
http://www.bkconnection.com/products/productshow.adp?code=23 

Free custom party planning
http://www.shindigz.com/ 

Wrapping services and paper source, 
http://www.katespaperie.com 

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OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES -Shopping Ideas
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Shop and give to hunger, breast cancer, animal 
rescue, rainforest, or child health.
http://www.gearthatgives.com/

Buy handmade soap and fund a job skills
program, https://www.theenterprisingkitchen.org/ 

Peruse more than 40K booksellers,  
http://www.bookfinder.com 

Turn a friend's photo into art
http://www.photowow.com or 
http://www.kinkos.com 

Outpost for NYC's Museum of Modern Art
http://www.momastore.org 

Food items you thought were gone forever
http://www.hometownfavorites.com/ 

Gifts for gardeners http://www.gardenweb.com .
Buy something to plant http://www.GardenNet.com 

In case you couldn't find the toy
http://www.etoys.com/ 

Basement bargains, http://www.designeroutlet.com

Comfy shoes, http://www.happyfeet.com 

Something for the pet, http://www.pawcasso.com/ 

Ideas for the Goodwill/Salvation Army shopper
http://www.shabbychic.com  

Bargains http://www.bottomdollar.com/

Don't even have to step out for the gift certificates
http://www.giftcertificates.com  

Last minute shopping and free shipping
http://www.redenvelope.com

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ARTICLES/PUBLICATIONS                              
************************************** 
Autry, James.  Life and Work: A Manager' Search 
for Meaning.  New York: Avon Books, 1995.

Collins, James C. & Jerry I. Porras.  Built to Last:
Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. New York:
Harper Business, 1994.

Deal, Terrence & Key, M. K. Corporate Celebration:
Play, Purpose and Profit at Work.  Berrett-Koehler,
1998.

Fox, Matthew.  The Reinvention of Work. San
Francisco: Harper-Collins, 1994.

Feieberg, Kevin & Jackie Frieberg.  NUTS:
Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business
and Personal Success. Austin, Texas: Bard, 1996.

Fulgum, Robert.  From Beginning to End:
The Rituals of Our Lives.  New York: Ivy Books,
1995.

Glanz, Barbara.  Care Packages: Dozens of Little
Things You Can Do To Regenerate Spirit at Work.
New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.

Hemsath, Dave & Leslie Yerkes.  301 Ways to 
Have Fun at Work. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler,
1996.

Nelson, Bob.  1001 Ways to Reward Employees.
New York: Putnam, 1994.

Roddick, Anita. Anita Roddick Speaks Out on
"Spirituality and Service."  West Sussex, England:
The Body Shop, 1994.

Weinstein, Matt.  Managing to Have Fun. New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1996.

Yerkes, Leslie. Fun Works. San Francisco: Berrett-
Koehler, 2001.