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Podcast Discussions

 Here is an idea for Mike and Mark to cover.

What do they think about the attendance at funerals and memorial services for Executives, Managers and Directs.

This comes up from time to time at my workplace.

How close should we be before we should consider ourselves obliged to go ?

How much direct contact with the deceased ?  Weekly meetings, monthly, annually ?

Two or three skip levels away - up or down ?

Being seen as supportive to the organization and the family is a good thing. Yet, is it seen as an insincere gesture if there is obviously only a thin connection ?

At what point is it considered an imposition on the close friends and family ?

I think you get the point.

 

I just thought it would be an interesting topic to explore with the guys who know.

 

T. Puccio

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Submitted by GlennR on Monday April 8th, 2013 3:58 pm

I don't know about M & M, but if I were doing a podcast on this topic, it would be very short and simple.

  1. Did this person (or his or her family member) and I work together either now or in the past?
  2. Would my presence bring more comfort to the family of the deceased?
  3. Is attending the funeral the best way for me to honor the memory of the deceased? (When a retired co-worker, who had been a mentor to me died, his funeral conflicted with a meeting I had where I played a key role. But I knew that he would have perfectly understood why I wasn't there and he would have wanted me to carry on as I did. To this day, I still wish I could have found a way to go, though.)

Over the years I have attended far too many funerals of co-workers or their family members. For me, it's not about how many levels they are or aren't from me. It's "Did I have a relationship with that person?

The only time I believe one should be "obliged" to go is when someone needs to represent the company the deceased or the deceased family member worked for. That should be decided on a case by case basis. That's never been an issue in my experience. (Probably more the case with customers and others whom you have a professional relationship with.)