We like to consider the folks we work with an extended family. And, like most families, Stewart Perry has a few holiday traditions.

Every year, we pick a weekend in December for all the team members who work on job sites come to our home office. We get a few meetings out of the way Friday afternoon, then dedicate the weekend to bringing our work family together with our spouses and kids. We have a brunch on campus Saturday morning and top the weekend off with a celebration at my house that evening.

This year, we added a new tradition.

Friday night, we invited a few of our long-term vendors and subcontractor relationships to our place. We started with beverages in the office, then moved outside. The Spoonfed Grill food truck was parked out front to provide some wonderful fish and chicken tacos, along with other delights that we enjoyed by the campfire.

The result was a chance for our team to shake hands with folks who help make us successful every week of the year.

A couple of our guys approached me afterwards, telling me they liked giving this kind of simple thank you to valued partners. They were also glad to further their relationships on a more personal level by talking about something other than work. The simple, face-to-face connect makes our ties run even deeper.

Have you thanked your partners this holiday season?