How your friends and family’s passions for service show up at your holiday party.
By Callie Verderosa
Many of us find joy in serving others, especially during the holiday season. We all have different passions and appreciate different avenues to use our energy, so it’s no wonder that not everyone enjoys the same type of service to others. It’s not that some people don’t care about giving back to their community. It’s that we all take a different approach to giving back to our family and community while satisfying our own passions.
If you’ve read our previous posts, you’re probably familiar with how we use the Birkman Method assessment to help us understand the four main personalities seen in people worldwide. This tool tells us how people are likely to act, react, and feel based on their interests, underlying needs, usual behavior and behavior under stress. It also helps us understand the different ways that people enjoy service.
We can look at how people show their service to others in different, yet equally meaningful ways. We’ll do this the Plaid way—as we did this summer—by breaking down the components of the Birkman Method by exploring how each personality type (The Communicator, The Thinker, The Doer, and The Analyzer) shows their gratitude, appreciation and service to one another at what might be a familiar and recognizable setting: your next holiday dinner party.
The Communicator loves the social atmosphere of any gathering. They’ll show their service by offering to co-host the dinner party, or at the very least, be in charge of the pre-gathering communication plan to get people excited or offer to facilitate a fun holiday game after dinner. At your party you’ll likely find The Communicator thoughtfully socializing with everyone in attendance so that each guest feels welcomed and appreciated. Their service comes in the form of spending time deepening their relationships and creating meaningful connections with those amongst your soiree.
The Thinker loves ideas and strategy. They can help you plan and scope your holiday party no matter how big or small. Their knack for strategic planning and creativity can come in handy for the big ideas, and the tiniest details that will make your guests warm and welcomed. At your party, you might see The Thinker setting out the hand-lettered table cards they’ve created for each guest, or sitting on the couch, observing the party and reflecting on how each guest makes them grateful, so that they can share that with everyone before dinner. They’ll spend their time adding the creative personal touches to the party and reflecting on all that they’re grateful for. Their service comes in the form of enhancing the party with creative and unique details.
The Doer loves to be active and can use their energy to implement the party logistics. They’ll be amid the kitchen commotion, making sure things get done amongst the friends and family who are catching up. At your party you’ll find The Doer pulling out every side dish they prepped the night before and getting them ready to pop into the oven. They’ll have a sense of accomplishment and pride in having every decision dish prepared ahead of time for the guests to indulge in. Their service comes in the form of focused activity to complete their tasks, in this case the side dishes, to share with the guests.
The Analyzer appreciates order, process, and, importantly, a checklist. Before the event, they’ll create a list of the party’s menu, the ingredients in each dish, and any other details necessary to secure before the event. They will ensure that every guest’s allergy is accounted for—and if something is forgotten at the grocery store, they’ll likely even run out for a last minute errand so that nothing is left out of the meal. They’ll spend time in the kitchen during the party to ensure each dish is being warmed and placed on the table in time for dinner. They’ll make sure no dish is forgotten for the meal, and every belly is full by the end of the evening. Their service comes in the form of ensuring the meal schedule is followed so the post-dinner holiday game can happen right on time.
Each one of us enjoys serving others in different ways that make ourselves and others feel comforted and loved during the holidays. Whether it’s for an entire community, or one family member, service can come in the form of grand gestures or tiny acts of appreciation. Consider how your passions show up in your service at your holiday gathering this season.
