As grandparents we know it can get harder to stay connected to grandchildren as they age. I recently published a new booklet for grandparents and schools administrators on how to enter your grandchild’s school world. With my granddaughter living in my same City (or close enough, I’m in Deerfield, she’s in Chicago) and this wonderful program put on by Booking.com, I was given a window into my granddaughter’s Work World.
This invitation made me feel cared for and loved by Kathryn.
Kathryn has worked at Booking.com for just over a year now. She said that the “Friends and Family Day” is an event each Booking.com office hosts annually at local offices. The event types vary from outings to hosting at the office itself. The Chicago office set up their event in the tenant lounge in their building, to include tours of the actual office.
I felt honored that Kathryn wanted me to be with her on this occasion, that she wanted me to share her work world. I met two of her bosses and they spoke very highly of her work and of her as a person. Her fellow workers also spoke highly of her. I’ve always been proud of Kathryn, but this reinforcement from her bosses and peers made me doubly proud. My significant other, Felice Padnos, who joined me at the event, was equally appreciative of Kathryn and her accomplishments.
She took us into the office space and it was all open space with desks. We sat at her desk area and I realized that she is part of a service industry. No products –just her skill in selling the service and that can be a tough job.
Kathryn let me enter world as when she was 13 years old and I asked her “how was school” and she told me grandpa I am more than just a student. She then taught me her school world, soccer world-and friendship world.
It is so special to me to have the opportunity to connect to Kathryn and enter her world now that she is an independent adult.
I often hear in the news that Millennials, those born between 1980-2000 or thereabouts, want to know that the companies where they work care about them as a person, both inside and outside of the workplace. Kudos to Booking.com for coming up with this program to allow friends and families more deeply connect employees in the space where they spend a good part of the week. It makes employees feel valued and deepens family relationships, by letting us have a glimpse into their world.
What a great company to work for, and your granddaughter sounds delightful! I have so many fond memories of my grandfathers and am working on building those same types of relationships with my own grandchildren. Thanks for sharing!
warms my heart. my Grands are still too young to visit at a workplace [the oldest just started high school] but it is something to look forward too. i bet grand kids are a lot less touchy about our visiting their work place than their parents (our grown children) are.