Written by: Lauren Puchtel | Executive Assistant
At Open Book, we celebrate something called an “Openversary.”
Openversaries are celebrated each year on the day a team member began working at Open Book. There is usually a prank involved — just a little surprise to keep the lucky team member on their toes! Then the rest of the team circles around them and each shares something specific we appreciate in that person. We end with a round of applause and then hand them a card full of handwritten messages and a gift certificate to a place we know holds special meaning to them.
We also celebrate birthdays with vigor at the office. This time it includes ordering lunch from the teammate’s favorite place. We all pause our work to eat together in our kitchen. Once again we each share something we value about that person and then also express a “wish” for their year ahead.
It is personal. It is vulnerable (both for the person sharing and the person receiving.) And it is a chance to get to the heart and core of what is most meaningful: the whole person. These celebration days are a way of reinforcing that we are more than a cog in a wheel at our place of work. We are human — with our unique gifts, strengths, and interests. It’s a time to say: “I see you. I value what you value. Let’s celebrate!”
Part of my job is organizing these celebrations for my teammates. I treat each one very individually. I get to think about what is most meaningful to that person and how we can honor them in the most authentic, true manner. From picking the perfect card for them, to where we order lunch from and what gift certificate we give them, every single celebration is a custom affair.
This process brings me great joy in my job. And it’s also motivated me to nurture moments of celebration in all of my life. I look for ways every day to acknowledge “this person, this moment, is special.”
Today I more passionately celebrate my 1-year old’s milestones, like taking her first steps or eating a new food. I more readily soak up the minutes spent putting on makeup for the day (because when you’re working from home during quarantine, while 7-months pregnant and with a toddler pulling at you, that’s a moment worth celebrating!) I plan ways to celebrate each Friday night with my husband by cooking a special meal to share.
There is so much power in celebration. There is power in acknowledging the small and grand things in life. It creates a drive inside of us to keep moving forward. It is an opportunity to stop, reflect, and savor the moments in front of us. We often move so quickly through events and milestones that we miss opportunities to fill ourselves up with celebration in the here and now.
“There is power in acknowledging the small and grand things in life.”
And it’s a special way to care for others—to pause and celebrate them. Celebration is an opportunity to go out of our way, think hard about another person, and really do something meaningful and impactful for them. I personally enjoy that you can catch them off guard and bring happiness or peace when they least expect it — pure value for both of us! Allowing someone else to be seen and celebrated encourages them to keep going in their endeavors and nurtures your relationship with them.
So, I have to ask — what are you celebrating? How are you honoring someone else’s success? How are you pausing to acknowledge all that you have accomplished this season? Take a moment to celebrate. We’d love to hear how it goes.
Open Book Communications is a communications consultancy and creative team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We help leaders build compelling stories and brands fueled with vision. We’d love to hear your story.
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