Everything seems to happen too quickly these days.  The conspiracy-minded might claim that this is an indication of a 'quickening' in which our humanity is ultimately lost.  While such thoughts may play well for the minds of the fantasy prone and science fiction fans, it is hard not to feel as though the world is losing touch with what it means to be a real person.  We are asked to produce. To consume. To be a part of the machine. The modern economy depends upon our participation!  What people need these days is a reminder that they are important as individuals and that they are valued independently of their disembodied economic potential.  Things like corporate holiday cards can go a long way in helping everyone take a step back, relax, and de-stress just a little.

Corporations due have the reputation of consuming individuals and spitting out (depending on who you talk to) mindless or brainwashed drones.  Realistically, this is an absurd notion but it does help illustrate the tendency of those in the lower pay grades to feel under valued.  A touch of humanity from time to time in the form of something simple like a signed corporate holiday card can help boost morale and help elevate the view of the company in the mind of the employee.  Instead of being some sort of cog sitting in a veal fattening pen cubical, the employee will start to see themselves as a valued asset that can make important contributions.  The importance of feeling appreciated can never be undervalued and a happy employee is a good employee.  Productivity can improve.  Less mistakes might be made and more unique and valuable ideas may come down the pike.

While it is easy to see where corporate holiday cards can be beneficial for internal morale, they can also have positive effects outside of the company office.  Vendors and customers alike result in the successful operation of a business.  A simple card or a few throughout the year can go a long way towards reinforcing these external relationships.  When contracts need to be renegotiated or bids have to be placed, the human touch of your company will be remembered.  Cards help communicate a simple message.  While the company may be a corporation, it is run by people as well and those people are thinking of you.

Uncounted dollars are spent each year on public relations campaigns.  Often, businesses have to overcome a negative image they do not rightly deserve.  How much of this unnecessary spending could have been avoided if people continued to use the personal touch?  Think of it.  Would potential adversaries be more or less likely to communicate openly if they exchanged things like corporate holiday cards?  It is a simple message but it can say a lot.  Just being able to let someone know you are there and that they can contact you will give you an advantage and potentially avoid costly misunderstandings.

In this day and age of mergers and multinational corporations, it is all the more important for those people who make up those companies to exert and express their humanity.  Maybe a little card can not change much but it can be like the wildflower that continues to grow between the slabs of the sidewalk.  It is still there and it needs to be noticed.  In time, more and more companies may start to appreciate that little flower and plant some themselves.

Corporate holiday cards are a simple reminder that we are human.  Employees, customers, and vendors alike like to know they are appreciated.  It is the combination of their efforts and input that makes the business thrive or fail.  Think about it and do something to let them know you are human too.