How would Santa recognize his elves?

We all know about how Santa Claus and his staff (better known as “the elves”) prepare for his Christmas Eve deliveries, but what happens when it’s all over? Santa gets so much credit for spreading joy during the holiday season, but everything that the jolly old guy in the red accomplishes depends on what the elves do behind the scenes. Does Santa acknowledge all the little people for the many ways in which they contribute?

I believe that the answer is yes. Santa does have an elf-recognition plan and Santa-related literature provides clues to how it works. It includes the same ingredients of GREAT staff recognition that those who are effective staff-recognizers practise. Santa’s elf-recognition practices are inspired by Genuine gratitude for what the elves do and the message of appreciation is strengthened by being Relevant, Explicit, Appropriate and Timely.

Santa knows that he wouldn’t be able to make boys and girls around the world happy on Christmas morning if it wasn’t for the efforts of “all the little people” who labour away at the North Pole to prepare for this one special day—making toys, packing Santa’s sleigh, and mucking out the reindeer’s pen.

With this understanding comes a sense of appreciation for what the elves do that ensures that Santa’s expressions of gratitude are Genuine. We also know that Santa demonstrates equity in how treats all children—and elves. No matter who you are, or what your circumstances, you will receive the gifts or recognition you deserve.

“He doesn’t care if you are rich or poor,

He loves you just the same.”

[From Here Comes Santa Claus by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman]

Treating all children equitably doesn’t mean treating every child the same, or that every child will receive a gift. As he prepares for a night spent circumnavigating the globe, Santa must decide which children will receive gifts and who will not, based on how they behaved during the previous 12 months.

Santa is very clear about what he expects of children, who are warned against behaviours that may result in finding only a lump of coal in their stockings on Christmas morning.

“Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry

You better not pout, I’m telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town”

[From Santa Claus is Coming to Town by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie] 

And we know that Santa keeps track of which children are demonstrating gift-worthy behaviours.

“He’s making a list,

And checking it twice,

Gonna find out

Who’s naughty and nice . . .

He sees you when you’re sleeping

He knows when you’re awake,

He knows if you’ve been bad or good.”

[From Santa Claus is Coming to Town]

Based on this evidence, one concludes that Santa knows which behaviours are Relevant to the elves helping Santa fulfil his mission and meet his goals—lots of toys, a carefully-packed sleigh and spotless reindeer pens.

Santa can be very specific about what he wants and why. We know that—aware of one reindeer’s unique strengths—Santa approached him with a specific request, demonstrating the same attention to detail that is required to provide Explicit recognition.

“Then one foggy Christmas Eve,

Santa came to say,

‘Rudolph with your nose so bright,

Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?’”

[From Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer by Johnny Marks]

No one really knows that much about the elves. For example, we don’t know how many work at the North Pole. Except for the few we’ve met through movies and TV specials, most toil in anonymity. But we can be confident that Santa knows who they are, just as he knows each child—and reindeer—individually.

“As he whistled and shouted,

And called them by name,

‘Now! Dasher, now! Dancer,

Now! Prancer and Vixen . . .”

[From ’Twas the Night before Christmas by Clement Moore]

There is no single toy that will satisfy every child. Santa knows that. He gets to know children by reading their letters and meeting them in shopping malls around the world. He also knows the elves and how they contribute. Because he gets to know each child and elf as an individual, the gifts and recognition he delivers are Appropriate for the recipients.

“Johnny wants a pair of skates;
Suzy wants a dolly;


Nellie wants a story book–
She thinks dolls are folly

[From Jolly Old Saint Nicholas (author unknown)]”

“A pair of hopalong boots and pistol that shoots,

Is the wish of Barry and Ben;

Dolls that will talk and will go for a walk,

Is the hope of Janice and Jen.”

[From It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Meredith Wilson]

Santa is a master of time management. How else would he be able to deliver gifts to millions of children in just one night? He is not someone to waste time. When stockings need to be filled, he fills them. When recognition is deserved, he gets on with providing it in a Timely fashion.

“He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.”

[From ’Twas the Night before Christmas]

Any manager or supervisor can deliver recognition like Santa does, by observing these guidelines:

• Know and Genuinely appreciate elves for what they achieve and how they contribute.
• Identify behaviours that are Relevant to your organization’s success and clearly communicate these to your elves.
• Be Explicit when describing what the individual and team did and why this action was important and appreciated.
• Know your elves as individuals (their interests, hobbies, food preferences, etc.) so that you can provide Appropriate recognition that the elves will value.
• Remember that now is the best time to recognize elves—as soon as possible after you witness or become aware of behaviours that you appreciate.

Why money makes a poor Christmas gift or recognition tool

In a reporter’s mind, there is hard news and soft news.  Hard news refers to those stories that lead the six o’clock news or compete to appear on Page One: murders, natural disasters, wars.  Everyone knows they are going to happen, but no one can predict when or where.

On the other hand, soft news stories are easier to predict:  The first robin that heralds the arrival of spring; celebrations for Canada Day or Independence Day; back-to-school preparation; or Farmer Brown’s giant pumpkin.

And of course, there are the annual Christmas-shopping stories.  When to start. Where to shop. What to buy that the recipients will appreciate and use, and not return on Boxing Day.

I recall watching one such report last year . . . or maybe the year before . . . or maybe I just anticipated seeing it this December.  It doesn’t really matter.  Such stories are as much part of our Christmas traditions as Santa Claus or turkey or greeting cards.

After describing a few gift suggestions—frequently unusual, wacky or new-to-the-market—and interviewing a few frustrated shoppers (“I just don’t know what to buy for Aunt Ethel. She is so hard to shop for. She seems to have everything.”), the reporter invariably concludes:

“You can always give them money. That is something everyone will keep.”

Wrong! No one keeps money that is received as a gift. You’ll never visit a friend who will point to a $20-bill framed on the wall, and explain that, “Uncle Eric gave me that money. He is so thoughtful. I will treasure this gift forever.”

Nope, that doesn’t happen. No one holds on to a gift of cash for very long. They receive it, fritter it away on nothing special, and forget ever receiving the money.

Money doesn’t work as a tool with which to recognize staff, either. Relying on money—or ubiquitous gift cards—is a cop-out. Their use shows we don’t know Aunt Ethel, Uncle Eric or the people we work with everyday well enough to find an appropriate way to say Merry Christmas or thanks for how they contribute. Or that we don’t care enough to seek out a gift that they will value because it reflects who they are—their interests and hobbies, the type of food they enjoy, or anything else that makes them unique individuals.

Want to recognize staff in Appropriate ways? The first step is to know staff members as individuals. In my book—Thanks! GREAT Job!—I suggest at least 53 questions, the answers to which will help you know the people with whom you work as individuals—information that will allow you to personalize the recognition you provide.

Use these words to reduce candidate’s stress level

Interviews are stressful. That is hardly news to anyone who has sat on either side of an interview-room table. Too much stress can affect the candidate’s performance negatively. The applicant may not present herself as well as she might in a less stressful situation.

The outcome can be unfortunate for the job-seeker and also for the manager with a vacancy to fill. The candidate must continue the job search and the interviewer will base the hiring decision on an incomplete understanding of the candidate’s attitudes and competencies. A skilled performer may be overlooked because the stress of the interview caused her to present poorly.

The challenge for interviewers is to reduce the impact of interview-induced stress so that candidates will open up and provide complete and candid responses to the interviewer’s queries. This can be achieved, in part, with a few well-chosen words spoken soon after meeting the candidate.

Confidence can begin to replace stress when the candidate feels valued and at least partly in control of the process. With this in mind, interviewer might select one or more of these stress-reducing statements and questions to use as the interview begins:

“It was a pleasure to talk with you on the telephone and we are delighted to have this opportunity to meet you in person.”

“From your resume, it appears you have had a variety of experiences.”

Note: The interviewer is not saying this were the right experiences, although this may be what the candidate hears, which could be a confidence booster.

“We are pleased you decided to apply for this position.”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us today.”

“Would it be okay with you if we took notes during this interview?”

Note: No candidate is likely to say no, but some will feel this gives them some control over the situation. Some may ask if they can take notes. Agree to the request.

In future issues of Briefly Noted, I will provide more tips and techniques that can reduce the stress candidates—and interviewers—experience.

Employing techniques meant to reduce the candidates’ stress is just one of the many topics included in my Interview Right to Hire Right workshops. Please contact me to schedule an Interview Right to Hiring Right workshop for those responsible for hiring staff in your organization. Phone (780) 433-1443 or nmscott@telus.net.