Blame it on the recent terror attacks or the gloomy economy — corporates just aren’t in the mood to celebrate Christmas with their usual gusto. But that hasn’t brought down the sprit of the staff.  Employees from many organisations have been playing the game Secret Santa, popularly known as Chrismom-Chrischild, to get into the spirit of caring and sharing at the workplace. This has become an informal Christmas tradition in many companies.

Says Vinita Thankam, Internal Systems department, Hexaware Technologies, “This game is very popular. We play for almost two weeks before Christmas and it energises us during the rather dull year-ending. We also get to share the spirit of the season by giving and receiving a lot of gifts. It clearly depicts the ethos of Christmas.”

Employees choose this medium to get to know their colleagues and peers well. This year this game has gained greater significance and it has been played by most of the employees.  “Earlier, we used to play this game in one workplace. Since the company has grown and there is greater interest among employees, we have spilt the staff into five teams with approximately 60 participants in each team. This fun-filled event helps people relate to each other better and as a result it brings everyone together,” says Vishnuram, Manager, Corporate Communications, Everonn Systems India Ltd.

Employees can indirectly interact with the person whose name  is written on the chit they have chosen and come to know about his/her interests on a more personal  level compared to daily official dealings.
In certain companies, they have even set up a special email ID, where the Chrismom/pop can send a message to his/her Chrischild and the latter can in turn send ‘thank you’ notes. The gifts can range from chocolates, cards, flowers to useful office appliances and personal stuff, with the best saved for the last day.

At Hexaware, employees send flowers, cleverly disguised handwritten notes to their Chrischild, keeping them guessing about their identity till the eve of Christmas.  On the eve of Christmas, through an informal celebration Chrismoms introduce themselves to their Chrischild and share a bounty of gifts. “I got a slab of chocolate along with a note saying ‘Have a sweet Christmas’. I thought it was a nice gesture,” said Kiran Bhandari, a manager at Netcomm.

How to play Secret Santa

* Make chits of paper with the names of all the participants. Each individual will pick a chit. The person whose name is written on the chit that you pick is your Chrischild and you are his/her Chrismom/Chrispa.
* You can also give instructions to your Chrischild as to which dress/colour to wear, how they should carry themselves or give fun tips. You can even send your chrischild on a treasure hunt by providing clues that will lead him/her to a prize that you have hidden.
* Instructions for Chrischild: Please do not try to find out who your Chrismom/Chrispa is or try and hint to them about what you expect as a gift.
* Instructions for Chrismom/Chrispa: Do not disclose your identity to your Chrischild at any cost.  If your Chrischild comes to know by chance, please withdraw as it will not be fun to continue the game after this.

Crush on your hot boss? Overbearing colleagues? Bad canteen food? Whatever be the problem, Stella, the sassy office secretary has all the answers.

 
Q  I am a 31-year-old woman executive working in a private limited company. In our organisation, there is no separate bathroom for men and women and about ten of us have to share a common bathroom. The issue is that maybe one or two of the men I work with don’t believe in lifting up the toilet seat before using the restroom. As a result, I feel disgusted and try to avoid using it as much as possible. But there are times when I have no choice but to use it and find it extremely revolting. I can’t go to my manager with this as it is very embarrassing. What do I do?

NS

Dear NS,
Try this simple solution that’ll cost you just Rs 25. Go to a gift shop. Look for a popular poster that’s been in print for ages. It reads “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be sweet and wipe the seat”. Buy one and paste it above the toilet seat. Your message will get across loud and clear.

Q  I have just joined a company in which my older brother works. In fact, he was the one who recommended me for this job. He has always been the good son (according to my parents) as he would study hard, listen to whatever they said and basically is a boring nerd. I am the opposite. They would always compare me with him at home. Now, I feel the same is slowly happening in the office as well. People expect me to be a reflection of him, which I’m not. What do I do? I don’t want to quit right now considering the job market is not very good.

Pranay

Dear Pranay,
People may expect you to be like him, but once they realise that you are your own person, I’m sure they will like you for who you are. Hang in there, and let your personality shine. Don’t quit for this reason, it’s not worth it.

Having issues at the workplace? Email your problems to
corporate@deccanmail.com.

* Make chits of paper with the names of all the participants. Each individual will pick a chit. The person whose name is written on the chit that you pick is your Chrischild and you are his/her Chrismom/Chrispa.

* You can also give instructions to your Chrischild as to which dress/colour to wear, how they should carry themselves or give fun tips. You can even send your chrischild on a treasure hunt by providing clues that will lead him/her to a prize that you have hidden.

* Instructions for Chrischild: Please do not try to find out who your Chrismom/Chrispa is or try and hint to them about what you expect as a gift.

* Instructions for Chrismom/Chrispa: Do not disclose your identity to your Chrischild at any cost.  If your Chrischild comes to know by chance, please withdraw as it will not be fun to continue the game after this.

Dos

* If you are uncertain whether the recipient celebrates Christmas or some other religious festival, send a neutral card saying Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings or Warm Wishes. 

*  Write the recipient’s name inside the card.

* Write a short note wishing them well — a simple sentence is better than nothing.

*  Even if your name is preprinted in the card, sign your first name after a short message.

Don’ts

* Don’t be late. Send cards out in time for the recipient to receive before Christmas.

*  E-mail greeting cards are not a substitute for an actual greeting card. It is always better to send a traditional one.

*  Don’t restrict the cards to only the people who you think are important. If someone sends you a card, then send them one in return. It is basic courtesy to do so.
 
*   Don’t send a greeting card with jokes or anything childish. It is advisable to send something straightforward and traditional that conveys the message.

Young and dynamic Dr Diwan Rahul Nanda is the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of TOPSGRUP, India’s leading security group,  having a turnover of over Rs 2.5 billion. He has been solely instrumental in putting his company on the road to success. His clientele spans celebrities from Bollywood, business tycoons, multinationals, government bodies, embassies, banks and leading corporates. Apart from being a workaholic, he loves to party and has a doctorate in martial arts.

Q Quote an instance where your security personnel had to intervene and save a client.
We are always in the line of fire; that is our job and we do it with a smile on our face. During the Mumbai terror attacks on 26/11, our TOPSLINE life-saving crew members, were pressed into rescue and evacuation operations and managed to save 150 lives which is amazing and always makes me proud of launching this wonderful service for the citizens of Mumbai.

Q Being in the security business, one has to stay fit all the time. How do you   manage to do the same?
I work out every day and once a week, I practice my martial arts. I am a double black belt in Jeet Kune Do and Kung Fu and have also done my PhD in martial arts from USA.

Q Heard you are an avid collector of watches and cars? Tell us about it.
Well I like all the toys that boys like, especially cars. I drive the latest H2 (Hummer) and also have a couple of Mercedes Benz and BMWs. On the watch front, I am a Rolex loyalist and have over 6 Rolexes.

Q A little about your   family and social life.
My family consists of my beautiful wife Winnie (my companion for 17 years) and my three wonderful daughters, Rásshi, Roohie and Réneh. On the social front, I do have the tag of a party animal but I try and regulate my social life nowadays as I am quite busy with our international operations in UK and USA.

Q Your first indulgence after setting up your company.  
I bought myself a Premier 118 NE. That’s all I could afford in those days.

Q Your clientele spans celebrities from Bollywood, business tycoons and politicians. Who is    likely to throw the maximum tantrums?
My biggest client is my wife, who besides being my better half is also my biggest critic when it comes to home responsibilities and spending time with the children. She is the one, who in my opinion, throws the biggest tantrums!

A Santa cap. That’s right. You can wear it at the office Christmas party or just around Christmas time. It will bring a smile to anybody’s face. And guys, chicks dig these caps. They will find it cute and it will definitely grab their attention.

Book of the week

Based on the single largest neuromarketing study ever conducted, Buyology by Martin Lindstrom reveals surprising truths about what attracts our attention and makes us spend money. Martin Lindstrom shares the fruits of his research, revealing for the first time what actually goes on inside our heads when we see an advertisement, hear a marketing slogan, taste two rival brands of drinks, or watch a programme sponsored by a major company.

Think you are over-qualified for your job, or that you’re not being paid your worth? This is the best platform to know your market value. Send in your queries and E.Balajie, CEO, Ma Foi Management Consultants Ltd. will tell you where you stand in the job market.

Q I am a senior technical recruiter working in a software company. My total experience is five-plus years. It is a medium-sized company. My remuneration is close to Rs 3 lakhs pa. I feel that I am not being paid enough. I have been           associated with the       company for more than a year and I started with Rs 2.5 lakhs pa. After my        revision, it was made Rs 2.9 lakhs pa. Kindly let me know whether my CTC (Cost to Company) is as per market standards for a recruitment professional like me. Kindly advise.

XYZ

It is difficult to compare one’s salary with one standard or a market standard. It is widely known that some foreign MNCs pay higher than many Indian MNCs. But that is not a rule and there are many cases where this may not be true. It is also known that medium-size firms have limitations to meet the salary levels of high-paying companies. 

  I would suggest that you evaluate your skill sets and get a sense of how much the market is willing to pay for your skills. This can be done by attending a few interviews. You can either register your profile with one of the popular databases or take the help of a nearby recruitment consultant. That should give you a better idea of what the market is paying for the specific skills and experiences that you carry. Accordingly you can also plan to acquire more relevant skills.

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