There I was sitting at an intersection…just patiently waiting for the red light to turn green and then inspiration hit. I reached to the backseat to grab my padfolio to jot down this light bulb moment and just then something else hit me – the cacophony of a fellow driver’s horn. Now this was no courtesy toot – this was a six-second blast. I mean, I had time to look in the rearview mirror and see a normally kindly gentlemen with a look on his face like I had just insulted his grandmother. And for what? Five seconds of inconvenience?
 
You probably know that here at Baudville we try to promote frequent and sincere appreciation of our fellow team members as a way to boost camaraderie, engagement, and motivation in the workplace. But my little brush with a fellow human’s short fuse got me thinking perhaps I need to widen my focus a bit.

 
Do you need ideas to give appreciation and kindness? Try our You are Truly Appreciated recognition theme and new Random Acts of Kindness ideas eBook!

Well, it just so happens that Random Acts of Kindness Week is coming February 13-19, and for me the timing couldn’t be better. Perhaps our country at large is in need of a little love as well? Just think about all the people we interact with on a daily basis: the store clerks, letter carriers, public servants, fellow commuters, and complete strangers. What can we do to send some goodwill their way?
 
We can start by laying off the horn – figuratively and literally. 
 
If you need ideas or free tools to join this mission, visit our Recognition Resource Center. There’s a new free download all about Random Acts of Kindness and a whole lot more there as well. Go ahead, give it a try!

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Brad Darooge is President and CEO of Baudville and a positive mojo aficionado. He brings the positive mojo to work every day along with his bike. In addition to leading Baudville, Brad is also an amateur triathlete.

If you are new to the whole Pinterest scene, let us help you get started. Baudville’s Pinterest gives you great ideas for Holidays and Celebrations, Baudville Products We Love, Office Potluck Ideas, plus a lot more great ideas. For more about Baudville’s Pinterest, check out our blog post "Make a board for office ideas. Baudville just got a Pinterest!" Who knows you could be winning prizes from Baudville for creating a Baudville employee recognition Pinterest board!

First things first, we need to establish a "Pinterest Dictionary" with Pinterest words and definitions.
    

Pinterest: A virtual pin board that helps you organize and share your ideas, favorite products, and recipes. Pretty much anything you want to share or remember that’s on the web.

Board: A virtual place that houses your pins. Boards can be a part of different categories in order to help you find more relevant content.

Pin: A pin is each individual idea, favorite product, recipe, or web inspiration.

Repin: Pinning someone else’s pin that you enjoy, want to remember, and share with your followers

Pinners you follow: Your Pinterest friends!

5 steps for creating a Pinterest:

1.    Create an account

Printerest makes you request an invite in order to create an account before you can start pinning on your boards. When you first visit Pinterest.com, click on the red "Request an Invite" button. Simply enter your email address and Pinterest will email you an invite link. Requesting an invite through Pinterest can take up to 2-5 days to receive your invite link. If you wish to start pinning sooner, email Baudville at recognition@baudville.com. We will send you an invite within a day (if sent during the weekday) and then you can start pinning!

2.    Create Boards    

When you first access your Pinterest account, there will be 5 boards already created for you to start pinning on. Favorite Places & Spaces, Books Worth Reading, My Style, Products I Love, and For the Home. To add another board like Favorite Baudville Products, simply click the Add + button. Create a name for the board, "I love Baudville!" and then choose a category that the board would best fit in, Products.

3.    Pinning

There are two main ways to pin ideas, products, photos, etc. on your Pinterest boards.

First, you can repin someone else's pin. When repining, choose the board you want the pin to be a part of, write a brief description about the photo or product, and then Pin It!

Second, you can pin photos off the internet. In order to do this you must add the Pinterest bookmark to your toolbar. Further details about how to install the bookmark on your browser can be found here. When you find a photo of something you want to pin, click the "Pin It" bookmark and choose the photo you want to share. Then choose a board that you want the pin to be a part of and write a brief description of what you pinned and why.

4.    Following other Pinners

Go to your name and click “Find Friends” This syncs up with your Facebook and you can see what Facebook friends of yours are on Pinterest. If you want to invite someone click "Invite" and type in their email address.

5.    Look at Pins

After you have everything set up you can start to look at other Pins! To view the pins of the people you follow, click on "Pinners you Follow". This will show you their most recent pins.
Or, choose a category from the "Everything" drop down menu. This shows you what everyone on Pinterest is posting in a specific category at that moment.

There you have it, a simple way to start your own Pinterest account, boards, and pins.To find out more visit the help section found on Pinterest.

Don't forget, there might be another contest coming up soon….. I would start creating a board of Baudville employee recognition gifts you would like to receive or give!

If you have any questions or concerns please leave a comment and we will reply back in a timely fashion. Enjoy!

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Kendra is the newest Baudvillian. She is currently an advertising intellectual at Grand Valley State University, and is ecstatic about the change of atmosphere as Baudville’s web marketing intern. Watch out because this young professional just touched down at Baudville.

It doesn’t seem possible (time flies when you’re having fun!); but just about exactly a year ago I wrote about an outing that the creative group and I took to a letter press studio. You can read about that here, if you’re interested.

I was thrilled with the experience and the value it brought to us as a team and as individuals. And, ever since, I’ve been scheming new ideas for our next big adventure, preferably an activity of equal or greater value. That calling came one day when a little bird landed on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. OK, actually it was our VP of Product and Merchandising.

And she wasn’t whispering, she was raving—about a charity event she’d attended the night before that benefited a local organization called Kids Food Basket, which does a pretty amazing job of fighting childhood hunger in our city. What she was so impressed with is that this operation somehow manages to supply free, nutritious “sack suppers” to more that 4,600 kids in need every weekday. Wow, right?

This organization does not receive any funds from the Federal, State, County, or City governments, so they rely entirely on the generous donations of individuals and local businesses in the community. And they also rely on a lot of volunteers.

Volunteers, you say? Ah, our next endeavor was knocking at our door. Because what’s better than doing something that benefits us? Doing something that benefits others!

Last Wednesday was our scheduled time, and when we got there, I started to understand why we could only bring a small group: the ratio of donated goods to human bodies was pretty astonishing. Sky high stacks of bread and cases of lunchmeat—all put to use by us in a sandwich-making extravaganza.

Because we’re pretty experienced with teamwork, we quickly fell into a pattern that utilized each person efficiently: from accurate counting, to dexterous bagging, to artful building we all did our thing. And, at the end of just one short hour, we had made 650 sandwiches. During that time we chatted, and laughed, and maneuvered around each other with cooperation and goodwill. Not that we don’t normally; but the spirit of kindness definitely took it up a notch.

  
12 people + 1 hour + 100% teamwork = 650 sandwiches!

Without question, the best part was that we did a good deed that helped people less fortunate than us. But we also had an opportunity to connect with one another in a way that had nothing to do with work, but ended up being the biggest teamwork success of the week. Nice!

What kinds of activities do you do with your team – inside or outside the office – that improve teamwork and camaraderie? Tell us about them here!

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Allison is a self-proclaimed Copywriting Diva and has the certificate to prove it! She’s been writing for Baudville for three years and has worked in a variety of business settings for more than 18 years. Before becoming a professional writer 11 years ago, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer! 

Tomorrow is National Compliment Day, and the day serves as a reminder of the power of positive words. When you give someone a compliment, you express appreciation for something that’s unique about them or something they did. Compliments can create a more positive work culture, improve relationships, and make your organization more successful.

This 2005 article from USA Today reminds us that compliments at work are not just about making us feel good, but it’s also “about company performance. Employees function better when their positive efforts are noticed and valued.”

The truth is negative comments are much more prevalent in our world today, and they’re more powerful, too. Psychologists have found that it takes 10 positive comments to offset one negative comment. That means you’re going to need a lot of compliments in your workplace!

Make it a priority today to give five compliments to the people around you: your coworkers, boss, family, even the cashier at the grocery store. Here are five unique ways to give compliments and make someone’s day:

1. Send an ePraise. Browse our ePraise card collection and choose the ecard that is the best fit for your recipient. Add your compliment in the space available for a note and send. It’s a free, quick, and easy way to give a compliment.

2. Mail a Letter. In our technology-driven society, receiving a tangible piece of mail makes a big impact. Write a letter to a coworker or friend complimenting a recent accomplishment. Drop it in the mail to make a big impression with your compliment.

 
A Print and Post in action!

3. Surprise with a Print and Post. We created Print and Posts and made them available for free on our website to spread fun and cheer in the office. They’re also a great way to deliver a compliment. Download one of the pages and cut out a sentiment for your recipient. Tape it somewhere unexpected – like their computer monitor, locker, or car window. The note is certain to provoke a smile!

4. Deliver Verbal Praise. Giving a compliment in person is a powerful way to make someone feel appreciated. Stop by your coworker’s desk and be specific with your compliment. You can even emphasize your appreciation with a high five, fist bump, or handshake.

 
A Baudville employee's Compliment Corner - full of handwritten notes she's received from managers and coworkers.

5. Write a Handwritten Note. Compliments that are tangible have staying power. Put your praise into a handwritten note, and I guarantee the recipient will treasure it! At Baudville, employees keep and display their Shout Outs and Pocket Praise from managers, coworkers, and executives at their desks for years. The compliments are proudly displayed for others to read, or when the employee needs a pick-me-up.

What is your favorite way to give compliments and praise? Share your ideas with us here!

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

In this month’s Recognition TV webisode, we talked about Service Anniversaries. This is the one recognition program that you can find at all organizations! Recognizing years of service can affect employee morale, retention, and motivation, so make it count! Here are five tips you can follow in your organization that employees will fondly remember for years.

Watch the Recognition TV websiode here:

1. Recognize on the actual day of the anniversary.
Some anniversary programs have years of service gifts sent directly to the employees’ home, or they may choose the gift on their anniversary and receive it on a later date. Even if your anniversary program requires you to do nothing to deliver the gift, make it a priority to deliver your personal congratulations on the day of your employee’s anniversary. Acknowledge the employee’s anniversary with a tangible gift – even if the company has already taken care of it. It doesn’t have to be expensive, like a greeting card with your personal note, a certificate, or even a high five. If it’s given sincerely, the recipient will love it.

2. Make it personal to your company and the recipient.
Your culture should be reflected in the way you celebrate service anniversaries. At Baudville, our first year anniversary gift is a fleece jacket with our logo embroidered on the pocket. These are a favorite among employees and have become a signature piece throughout the company. We love our fleeces because it serves as a symbol of our achievement. Plus, we get to choose the color of the jacket and embroidery, so it’s always just the way we like it! This gift is a great fit for our culture because employees get to express their personal creativity, and it’s fun and practical.

3. Do something every year.
The biggest mistake companies make today is holding off on recognizing anniversaries until employees have their five year anniversary. How many people leave your company before they even get close to five years of service!? If your organization values dedication and tenure (most do!), start recognizing it right away. It doesn’t have to cost a lot! With the cost of turnover – and the fight for talent – you can’t afford not to recognize those early years of service.

• For $10, you can take the employee out to lunch for some valuable one-on-one time.
• For $5, you can purchase an anniversary lapel pin for every member of your team with their specific years of service.
• For $2, present an award certificate on the complete certificate with paper, folder, seal, and ribbon. It will make a grand impression for a small dent in your wallet! 

4. Make it a group mission.
Managers are an important part of service award recognition, but they shouldn’t fly solo when celebrating years of service. Make it a group event! When you recognize a behavior, like years of service, publically, it sends a message to your entire team. This is powerful communication about what your organization values and what an outstanding employee or contribution looks like. Don’t underestimate the power of public recognition! A well planned and executed award ceremony can provide long lasting motivation.

5. Don’t underestimate the power of free.
There’s a lot you can do to honor a service anniversary that doesn’t have to cost you anything! When your teammates have an anniversary, shout it from the rooftop! Make a big deal about it if you want employees to take their time at your organization seriously. This is also a great way to publically recognize individuals who don’t like to be the center of attention. By using these different media, you can be sure to express your appreciation without making them uncomfortable.

• Once a month, list all service anniversaries on your blog.
• Post a congratulations status update on Facebook on your company page.
• Send a tweet on Twitter.
• Send an ePraise card using the free system on Baudville.com. We have cards created especially for service anniversaries. All you have to do it add a short personal note and click send.
• Add a special column to your company newsletter that only lists anniversaries.
• Talk to your IT department about an anniversary spotlight on the intranet.

How does your organization celebrate service anniversaries?

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.