Whew! The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity around the ‘ville as we prepare to travel to Atlanta for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) 2012 Annual Conference and Exposition. And the fun is only beginning! We’re bringing our 20x20 island booth to the expo hall, and you can visit the place for daily recognition in booth #2005. Next week Sunday-Tuesday will be full of conversations with attendees, networking, learning, and receptions. We're going to be very busy in Atlanta!

If you’ve been to a SHRM Annual Conference in the past few years, you’re well aware that we love to talk to attendees about our day-to-day recognition solutions. We know that regular expressions of appreciation can have a significant impact on employee engagement, motivation, and retention. Read our white paper on the topic for more information.

We encourage managers to give regular feedback to employees with our day-to-day tools, but we want to celebrate big accomplishments, too. This year our booth will also feature a collection from our vast trophy and award offering. Many of our trophies were exclusively designed by our artists, so you can’t get them anywhere else. Plus, we engrave and ship same day for fast service that accommodates even the tightest deadlines.

1. Delicious Cupcakes.
Once again, we’ll have beautiful and tasty cupcakes in our booth to celebrate the opening of the show on Sunday night. This year, the cupcakes are from Miss Mamie’s Cupcakes in Marietta, Georgia. Fun fact about Miss Mamie’s: she’s a Food Network Cupcake Wars Champion! The cupcakes are always a hit, so if you want to get a taste of Miss Mamie’s delicacies, stop by EARLY on Sunday!

2. Cool Totes.
Our tote bags are a hot commodity at the conference, and we typically run out by the end of the day Monday! This year, our bags are going to fly out of the booth even faster! We’ve created a mini-tote with a new sentiment, “May the Fabulous Be With You.” Watch out, they’ll be zooming around the exhibit hall!

3. Witty Shirts.
Every year we create new shirts for our staff to wear with fun sentiments that reflect the attitude and atmosphere of Baudville. We have some great ones this year! Meet each Baudvillian in booth 2005 to see them all!

4. Great Conversations.
We have a lot of fun in the Baudville booth, but we also have conversations with attendees about solutions for their businesses. Are you concerned about losing top performers in the talent war? Talk to one of our recognition specialists on how you can make them feel appreciated and make them stay.

5. Innovative Products.
Our products take center stage at the SHRM Annual Conference. It’s not unusual for attendees to suddenly stop in the middle of the aisle because they’ve spotted our Cheers Kits, Shout Outs, or one of our theme recognition displays. Visiting our booth is one of the few opportunities customers have to see our products in person before making a purchase. Don’t miss it!

We’re excited to meet you at the SHRM 2012 Annual Conference! See you there!

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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.

Are you looking for trendy spring appreciation gifts and new day-to-day recognition tools to give your team? You’ve come to the right place! As one of Baudville’s in-house product designers, I’ve chosen my personal favorites for spring appreciation. Learn what’s hot right now with my High Five for Friday Spring Trend Report!

1. NEW Talking Praise - fun desktop notes
These notes feature FUN and BRIGHT colors with a creative shape that shows off our originally-designed art. They’re a great day-to-day recognition solution!
They’re lighthearted & easy to give for any recognition moment and perfect for on-the-spot recognition. Personally, I would love to be surprised with one of these left on my desk!

2. NEW In Good Company - fun business cards
Another fun and lighthearted recognition option that is SO easy to give! These awesome, write-in business card style notes come with a plastic case so they can be on hand at all times. That way you don’t miss any opportunity to recognize your best employees. Surprise recognition can be the best kind sometimes!



3. Thanks for All You Do! - best selling theme
What a refreshing and happy recognition theme. These colors just scream Spring! You can give anything in this theme so easily for any appreciation occasion. And, our new Twist Top Tumbler in this theme is a two-in-one treat! All of our tumblers are great for holding your favorite summertime drink; but this one is special because of its colorful swirl straw and candy-filled base!

4. Positive Praise Theme – bestselling theme
Can’t you tell I just love bright colors?! Color is so important in designing the art that goes on each of our products. What I love most about this theme is the vibrant fun design and simple use of text. This theme does so well because you just get it when you look at it. Not every occasion calls for a serious and sentimental message.

Right now, my favorite product in this theme is the PVC memo clip holders that come in a pack of 5. Recipients can use the clip at their desks for photos or notes from managers or their co-workers – and have a constant reminder of how awesome they are!

5. NEW Pop of Praise – desktop pop-up notes
I am in love with all our day-to-day recognition tools that we offer for managers! Aside from our Holiday theme art, they are probably my most favorite product to design.

Pop of Praise are one of the easiest products to use that we have designed yet. All you need to do is pull a random note from the box and write a small note and - BAM! - you are ready to give quick & easy recognition! The best part is that you are instantly ready for your next moment as the next note pops up.

Want more ideas? Check out a few more of my all-time favorites:
• Twist Top Tumblers – offered in many themes.
• SHOUT OUTS – great way to get your team to support one another.
• Cheers Kits – great for manager-to-employee or peer-to-peer recognition.
• Pocket Praise – perfect for day-to-day recognition.
• Sweet Treats – I just love the jelly beans!  

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Since 2008, April has designed countless (really, too many to count!) themes and products for Baudville. Here, she uses her expert’s eye to pick her top five favorites for spring!

If you’re a busy manager—and, let’s face it: the words busy and manager are practically inseparable—then you might not think you have time to show employee appreciation. But, considering that 64% of Americans leave their jobs because they don’t feel appreciated (you can read about this statistic and more in our Day-to-Day Recognition White Paper), taking that little bit of time upfront can save you eons down the road.

This all makes sense; but, NEWS FLASH: you’re still busy!

At Baudville, we get it. Which is why whenever we develop new employee appreciation products, we always ask ourselves this question first, “Is it easy to use?” If we can’t answer yes, then it gets chucked into the brilliant-but-useless idea graveyard. Yes, we’re ruthless; but we do it for you!

You’ll be happy to know that several products made it past the gauntlet and into the winners’ circle this round. Here they are:

In Good Company – Business Cards with a Twist. We definitely did all the legwork for you here; you just need to add your five seconds of hand work! Simply pick out a card that represents the person you want to recognize, fill in his or her name, and deliver. If you have a Chief Imagination Office, a Professional Game Changer, or VP of Positive Mojo on staff, then these are the perfect notes for you.   

Talking Praise – Fun Desktop Notes. With 3-D being the big buzz this year, we thought we’d create our own notes that stand up, stand out, and stand apart from all the other flat note cards out there. Choose from one of six designs, write a quick note on the back, fold to make the word bubble pop out, and leave it on your recipient’s desk. What a fun, colorful, surprise way to give your praise!

Pop of Praise. When we talk to our customers, we commonly hear, “Don’t make me think!” Well, guess what? It is possible to give thoughtful employee appreciation without having to put hours of thought into it. Pop of Praise notes are perfect for quick, spur of the moment recognition—that happens in seconds! They’re available in three messaging themes and the notes inside are a random assortment of related messages. Just pull a note (it already says what you want to say), sign it, and stick it. What do you think of that?   

I Rock Today Sticker Set. I just wrote about these in my High Five for Friday post; but since they are still as awesome today as they were last week, I am bringing them up again. For a modest 37¢ per sticker, you can give someone bragging rights for an entire day. That’s a little bit of pocket change and a couple of minutes with a Sharpie for a long lasting memento of your admiration.
 

Memo Clip & Sticky Note Gift Set. These are sort of a hybrid tool: part gift, part handwritten note. And, the come in seven different themes! You can write a note of appreciation on one of the sticky notes, attach it to the clip, and present one to everyone on your team. They get a meaningful reminder of your appreciation; plus a memo clip and a pad of notes they can use at their desks every day.

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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 Michigan, though we never seem to fall short of ways to joke about the weather fluctuations, we can usually count on January to be consistently cold and snowy. Yet, somehow, the thermometer has peaked at nearly 50 degrees several days this week. The forecast for the rest of the week? Between 8-10 inches of the fluffy white stuff! There’s nothing like the unpredictable to overcomplicate getting dressed for the work day—as well as our commute to start or end the day.

It’s definitely nice to have options when Mother Nature throws a curve ball, and my co-workers and I are really happy that we’ve earned new Take a Casual Day and Take a Free Hour tokens that we can cash in for just these occasions. (In anticipation, I'm using one of mine today, by the way!)

These new products are part of our new Token Super Bundle that was designed with save and redeem employee recognition programs in mind.

Here’s what’s in the bundle and what you can do with them:

Star and Kudos Point Tokens: Hand out these tokens on the spot when you see everyday greatness in action. These are meant to be casual forms of recognition, so think small: maybe James helped Laura fix a paper jam just in time to get her printout for an important meeting. Or, Melissa stayed late one evening to finish a project.   
Employees can collect them to cash in for prizes of your choosing, or save and redeem them for other tokens in the bundle, like:

Take a Casual Day and Take a Free Hour Tokens: What’s better than a low cost employee reward that has a really high value to the members of your team? In a bundle, tokens are just under $1.25 each and the rewards themselves cost you little or nothing. Use them in conjunction with the other tokens, or on their own for bigger recognition moments. But, remember, they’re still informal for day-to-day, so don’t wait until someone solves world peace to give one out!   

Have a Treat on Me Tokens: I like these tokens for giving your employees a little face time. When you award one of these tokens, make it special by doing something as simple as having a nice chat with your team member as you walk to the vending machine. Or, make it more official by setting up a time to take a short coffee or snack break together. They’ll enjoy the free treat as well as the personal one-on-one time that shows you care. Plus, who doesn’t need a warm bevvie to perk up the day? (Especially us Michiganders!)

If you’re looking for small, affordable ways to engage your team and motivate them to go above and beyond, Tokens of Appreciation are your ticket. Incorporate them into a save and redeem program to create an added incentive and you’ll see everyone stepping up their game!

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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!