This week we are getting ready to host the 6th annual Cookie Exchange with the women I work with.  It is one of the most fun nights of the year.  It is no accident that I am also deciding to launch PrivateEyes, and get critical feedback from some of the most inspiring women I know. 

When I first heard about the Cookie Exchange it was right after my initial move to the South and to my new company. To be honest I was kinda surprised to hear about the event, I was like WOW, these women really have too much time on their hands, but then I attended  was shown first hand how much fun the event is,  and for the past several years I am proud to host it at my house. 

I cannot say that I am expert in cookie exchanges but I can tell you what I find so fun and amazing about this one.  Most of the women who attend the function work in highly stressful and competitive environments. We are measured by the results of our work in either individual quotas or team quotas, and the deadline for meeting these lofty goals is only days away.  Not only do these women manage quotas but many have children, holiday celebrations of their own, and a million other activities that keep them busy throughout the year.

 So you might be thinking that by hearing how busy these women are that there are a lot of store bought cookies. Nein, meine Frau! While we would not mind store bought cookies, the cookies are amazingly complicated and delicious, and if you don’t bake (like me) or I don’t know you . . .  just had a baby a week prior, or you are just swamped, we also encourage contributions on wine and appetizers.  The event is not intended to stress anyone out.  However, there are the regular favorites that everyone looks forward to, the BuckEyes, Rumballs, the Tree Bark and many more, and then every year there are new ones, last year was a big year for Russian Tea Cookies.  There are also other favorites, such a cocktails weenies, a certain bulldog, and lots of wine.  By the end of the night we all leave with a ton of cookies and a great night to remember.

What makes me want to get my house clean enough for guests to come over?  It’s such a contrast to the environment we are typically in… work. We are used to being in sales in some way or another, where we often compete for business from our clients, or compete for internal resources. You typically lose more deals than you win, but when we all get together on this night it is one of the most relaxed and laid back nights of the year. It’s is a perfect example of why I love working with women, and in particular these women. 

The conversations focus on achievements, and admiration, instead of quotas and pressure.  There is telling someone how much you look forward to their cookies every year, how cute their outfit is, thanking someone for helping them on a deal. Sometimes laughing about how something was such a cluster, and if that person was not apart of the solution they never would have gotten through it.    Or maybe its an introduction to a new woman who has done something amazing, that for some reason no one ever thought to mention at work. 

 My personal favorite is to laugh about all the stupid things we say daily with the utmost seriousness, like

     Leveraging Resources

     Escalation Path,

     At Risk,

     Accountability

     On Board. 

     Don’t Lose Alone

 It’s nights like the Cookie Exchange when we can step back from our usual focus on getting things done, to forming the relationships with people who we have and will turn to and count on….  Especially when we need to Escalate an issue for an At Risk project, and make sure have the right level of Accountability, and that everyone is On Board so we can be sure of a positive outcome, and never ever Lose Alone. 

 Which sadly just boils down to what might NOT be the most important thing to know about the working world, but it typically IS the most critical thing to know about navigating the corporate world, and that is that you need to know who will make sure you don’t Lose Alone or in other words who will help you Cover Your Ass (CYA).

 That might sound a little negative and truthfully it is, but on the flip side it is also what I love about my job, and on the good days is reality.  I get to work with a ton of different people who have amazing skills that I desperately need in order to be successful, and on the good days those people are helping cover you ass by providing much needed expertise in an area that I don’t have, and together when we all collaborate something great gets done.  Sometimes that is winning a deal, rolling out a new product, putting together a great marketing plan etc, and on the bad days when deals are lost, product launches are delayed and marketing missed an opportunity, those same people are there to Cover Your Ass and to help explain and defend what the eff happened, how we can do it better next time and  make sure that nobody looks too bad.  These are also the same people that make sure you get to Happy Hour that night.    So to all my peeps who help Cover My Ass on the good days and the bad days…. Thanks, and I got you covered 

Cover your ass