Viewpoint - Viewpoint

Canadians are very polite, so I will start this post by saying THANK YOU! No real reason except it feels right and maybe I feel a little awkward because we celebrated Thanksgiving first. I am not sure why.

Did the Pilgrims make a quick stop in Canada and enjoy some Newfoundland Screech (and kiss the cod) before arriving in the US? Probably not, but now that Newfoundland is Canadian, you can - please do. Is it when Christopher Columbus (bonus holiday) looked over from the US and could see Canada?  Maybe we celebrate that. I am sure we gave a little wave.

You are probably wondering what a polite Thanksgiving is like. Apart from thanking our boss for the long weekend and agreeing to have some work ready for next Tuesday, it is not much different. If we plan a barbecue for Thanksgiving we either give profuse thanks for good weather or swear a lot because it is awful – then we say, “Thanks for nothing!”. Even when we are acting feisty, we say thanks.

Canadians living close to the border (most of us) can enjoy two Thanksgivings. It gives us an opportunity to enjoy turkey for three consecutive months. If we get a big turkey in October, we can freeze some for the other holidays and pretend we carved it in the kitchen. Our guests will still say thank you.

Canadians certainly like to jump to the head of the queue. Americans are looking forward to the 4th of July – and suddenly, three days earlier, Canadians are waving flags (theirs) and celebrating Canada Day. It is nice in a way, because then we are all warmed up ready to join you for Independence Day, if we are invited. I am sure that even the Queen is ready with a polite congratulatory message. Even if we are not invited, we can watch the parade - thank you very much for letting us share your television. It is very nice – thank you.

Thank you for accepting our Canadian dollar at par, even when it is lower. It is a good feeling and helps us feel at home. We share so many things and this weekend as we eat our thawed out turkey, we will salute you from across the divide and thank you in particular for your friendship.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Now it is your turn, but thank you for letting us share!

Ian

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BIOGRAPHY

Bio:  Ian Welsh CHRP

Ian’s style of HR is being resourceful in a human way.  His HR experience spans more than 25 years at an executive level within major organizations where his emphasis was on HR solutions – respecting theory but knowing how to apply it in real life situations and recognizing holistic needs.  As an Independent HR Practitioner, based in Toronto, Ian continues to focus on “reality HR” with strong communications overtones.  He shares his experiences and thoughts on his Toolbox for HR blog “The Search for Mutual Success” and interactively through online discussion.

http://hr.toolbox.com/blogs/search-for-mutual-success/

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