I can’t sing, as my children will tell you, but I decided to break out in song anyway. Last night at the work Christmas party. In front of the chairman. A career-winning move? Maybe not.
The managers in our company were asked to say a few words about their teams as gifts were handed out. Everyone in the company received the gift of a Red Balloon voucher. It was a lovely surprise.
Perhaps less of a lovely surprise was my last-minute idea to describe my wonderful and talented Crikey and Women’s Agenda teams using the tune and adapted lyrics to what I thought were apt songs.
I chose A Day In The Life by The Beatles for Crikey and I Am Woman for Women’s Agenda. My first challenge was to name everyone in the team within the song lyrics. My second challenge was to avoid offending anyone.
I suspect I was most at risk of offending people’s delicate sensibilities. As one of my sons recently informed me: “Mum I know you like to sing, but really you shouldn’t”. He is the kind son. The other, more direct child, put it simply, “you suck at singing”.
Ok so I am without the voice of an angel but the intention was good. I am fortunate to publish the very best digital brands in their categories. Those brands are edited and staffed by the most talented people in the industry. I am a fortunate publisher because you are only as good as the people in your team.
Crikey’s political journalist Bernard Keane highlighted an early problem with my choice of songs. I am generation X, my team are largely generation Y and yet my choice of songs were of the baby boomer generation. If my team had never heard of the songs they played along politely anyway, even the Walkley winning First Dog On The Moon.
If you read yesterday’s Daily Juggle you would know that I was anxious about the Private Media party. But I needn’t have been. It was a truly fun night. There was a quiz, everyone got a gift, we sang and we danced. The lyrics that I had altered to describe my teams got passed around. Questions were asked. But at the end of the night there were lots of hugs as we said an official good night to the 2012 work year. There weren’t any nasty moments of regret, although one of the board directors told me I should try not singing next year. Suddenly everyone’s a critic.
How was your Christmas party?