T'was, the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a... Wait a minute. What about that elf who sat on the shelf? He's moving about.
A tradition that began in a single Georgian household in the '70s is now a worldwide custom during the holiday season. Carol Aebersold would position their family elf in a specific location in her home. She would then share with her twin daughters that Fisbee (the name her daughters gave the elf) was watching them throughout the day, and at night while they were asleep, he would report to Santa Claus how the girls behaved. What Fisbee shared would help Santa determine naughty or nice. Before the girls awake, Fisbee would return home but be in a different spot in the house. This flight to the North Pole continued each night until Christmas Eve.
In 2004 Aebersold and her daughters wrote the infamous book, The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, kick-starting a holiday sensation. The book explains the elf's significant influence in crafting Santa's naughty and nice list. Today, social media has become home to many parents sharing creative and fun ways to involve the elf in Christmas play, each family making the tradition their own.
Over the years, the elf's engagement has evolved. It's not surprising to find him getting into nightly trouble upon his return from visiting Santa. Cereal all over the floor, toilet paper unraveled in the bathroom, toy soldiers tying him up, and much more mischievous fun has come to be expected. Each morning the children encounter another elf antic, wondering if they should be the one reporting to Santa all the issues caused by their elf who refuses to remain on the shelf!
As we approach the 2020 holiday season, we can't help but feel a little like children holding our breath, anticipating the next disruption waiting for us around the corner. For the past 48 weeks, daily, we woke up with one question in mind, "What's next?" The norm became expecting a new spill requiring a cleanup. The condition of the world around us told us to have a mop in hand as there will be another disaster to muster through.
Life rattled, and it rolled, didn't it? Personally and professionally, it seemed to take us on a ride with more twists and turns than The Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers Resort in Staffordshire, UK. Though this may have been the case, let's not overlook the light that keeps breaking through the dark clouds. For every shocking chaos, we found stunning solutions. Each morning we no longer were surprised by the mess; instead, we were ready to tackle it full steam ahead. That is the beauty that broke through the storm.
This month we want to address our business elf on the shelf. Let's call him Marquette. Each blog will shed light on Marquette's naughty escapades that caused a great deal of industry and business distribution this year. Though our business elf has caused some blows, we want to end the year reflecting on all the ways organizations have risen to the occasion of standing tall! At THuS, we have enjoyed "pivoting" with our clients and facing each day ready triumph through our elf's mess.
We look forward to sharing their stories and the examples of others who remained 2020 Business Strong!