As we approach the holiday season, the VirtualPBX team wanted to have a little fun. There’s nothing like an innocent staff survey to learn more about each other and discover the best kept family communication secrets. Check out some of our top responses for what to and NOT to talk about at the table this holiday.
We don't talk about Bruno.
Beyond the basics, what are some topics you don't bring up at Thanksgiving gatherings?
- Exes. By far, the most popular response was past relationships. It seems our crew all agree that it’s best not to talk about them… but it also seems nearly unanimous that the subject manages to make an appearance anyway. From the choices made in the first place to where they are now, be it good, bad, or married to your sister, it seems a well-meaning relative will always dive into this taboo subject with some of our team members. Oof!
- Past family disagreements. Coming in at #2, it’s decided that any big riffs from the past, stay in the past. There’s discrepancy with how it started. We all remember the details very differently. And we absolutely don’t know how it was resolved. But we’re also not positive everyone will come out unscathed if we rehash it. That moment when Kathleen abruptly moved cross country? Yeah…we don’t talk about that.
- Embarrassing family member talents. Whether it’s poorly mimicked impressions, gross family member oddities (why does Papa Doug’s knee wiggle like that?), or the moment in the spotlight that one dad and a karaoke machine just can’t pass up, we know we try to avoid any conversation that could be mistaken as encouragement to share these so-called natural talents.
- Family Planning. Why does grandma ask when cousin Jenn is going to start having kids every year? Why did Aunt Debbie pat my SIL’s stomach and whisper congratulations? Just, why? It seems some family members amongst our team are in the business of being up in others’, throwing caution to the wind and the privacy of the conversation. The results are in and family planning is absolutely a non-starter.
When all else fails, there’s safety in blaming it on your 4-legged partners in crime.
We also don't talk about the Browns, the Bills, or the Packers.
Football rivalries run deep, especially when family spans the country. We can't really talk about it, but maybe you can.
Team alliances run generations in our VirtualPBX family. You’re not just a fan, it’s how you’re raised.
There are some very passionate football fans within our VirtualPBX team. Staff meetings typically include a recount of the weekend’s big wins and losses. And most of the time our team finds that at family gatherings, different team affinities are welcome. But after hard losses, bad seasons, or injuries, the conversations can turn south quickly and siblings in particular can get a bit defensive. We recommend keeping the good natured stabs within your friend group and let your brother-in-law lick his wounds from the recent Patriots loss in peace.
The table...er menu, is set.
When it comes to the food, the VirtualPBX crew agrees...you don't fool around.
Nothing can cause more communication mishaps than the Thanksgiving meal. Some families agree on a specific menu weeks in advance, while others have been having the same recipes for generations.
At VirtualPBX we all know and have stories about the family members who can and cannot be trusted with the important dishes.
(The attributions for these quotes have been removed to protect our colleagues from any family backlash.)
“How pink is too pink for cranberry sauce – any amount of pink, right? Is it actually made of cranberries? What is a chutney? Is this a chutney? In the next days, as those particular leftovers sat untouched, a series of wasteful experiments unfolded where my brother and I attempted to recreate the color and texture of this sauce using a range of ingredients including but not limited to Pepto Bismol.”
“Everyone wants to make the handful of very traditional dishes we have had for generations in my family. The first year after we lost my grandma, my cousin wanted to make her noodles. Somewhere she mistakenly added sugar…enough sugar to make them quite sweet. No one has let her make noodles since.”
The then 4-year-old who is allowed to help make the noodles.
The highly accurate, very official VirtualPBX survey of safe vs. unsafe dinner table talk.
Safe dinner table talk.
Pets. And kids. Our VirtualPBX family agrees: If you’re not sure what you’re walking into or you have a very passionate family, pets and kids are a safe bet around the holidays. All other bets however, could be off. For some other good, safe, topic ideas, check out Real Simple’s 80 Fun Conversation Starters.
What gets brought up anyway.
It never fails that someone (we’re looking at you Uncle Tim), despite the hours of pre-conversation before arriving to a family gathering, brings up the topics we all know we shouldn’t. In another very official survey, here’s what our VirtualPBX team reported as the most frequently breeched topics that are clearly off limits.
Last but not least...
No devices at the table.
As a communication company, we love our phones and tablets just as much as the next person, but there’s a time and a place. Some families have strict rules. Others just talk about you afterward. Our team unanimously agrees that phones should not be at the family dinner table unless it’s to video chat with those who couldn’t make it. Our ability to connect deeply and emotionally is our human advantage and something to be preserved. At VirtualPBX our goal is always to bring humans together by securely creating opportunities to connect, from across the country to across the globe.
So what can you do instead?
To ensure you have time away without missing a beat, consider taking some pre-planning to step away unencumbered.
Auto Responses, Away Messages, and Holiday Greetings
Don’t forget to change your greeting and set your away or out of office messaging in your voicemail, texting auto-response messages, and email signatures.
Call Forwarding and Follow Me Calling
Stop worrying about checking your office phones and voicemails. Instead, temporarily forward those calls to your cell phone or set your business phone up to follow you. Then you can choose what you answer and what you let go to voicemail.
Voicemail to Email
Quickly check your voicemail messages right through your email—for a quick skim versus having to call in and listen to the entire message.
