Just like you, at Baudville we have big goals. One of our biggest this year was to bring you an ambitious new selection of breathtaking (and smile-inducing) trophies and awards, while still providing the exceptional quality and same day service you’ve come to expect and enjoy.

I’m proud to tell you that we met our objectives—and then some! Visit BaudvilleTrophies.com to find all of your tried and true favorites along with more than 75 new awards for every budget, style, and occasion. We even have some that light up. Why didn’t we think of that sooner?

As the year closes and opens anew, I’ll be reflecting on the significant achievements of every member of my team, and you likely will too. How might you express your sincere thanks for a job well done?

Shop our Trophy Collection today and the answer will be Crystal clear!

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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.

Although the Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone, at Baudville, we don’t see any reason to stop being thankful. In fact, we like to think we’re just getting warmed up!

As we reflect on the year, we can’t help but feel deep appreciation for those who make our business thrive: that’s you! We realize that you, our loyal customers, are truly essential to our success. Thank you!

We hope we can give back to you by continuing to provide you with products and resources that help your company be the best it can be. To do just that, we’ve been working over the past months to bring you a great batch of new products that you can use to start off the new year with excitement and enthusiasm. Watch for them in January, and until then…

Cheers to a happy and prosperous holiday season!

 
Happy Holidays from the entire Baudville team!

The Recognition at Work blog will be taking a break over the holidays, but we'll return after the New Year on January 3rd. Looking for more information and ideas? Visit our new Recognition Resource Center!

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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.

With Christmas only one week away, those of us in the office who like to bake – and like to eat baked goods – have sugar plums, candies, and cookies dancing in our heads. If you’re like me, you may spend days in the kitchen making goodies to share with neighbors, friends, family, and party hosts. It’s a lot of time and a lot of work!

This year, one of my teammates arranged a cookie exchange among our department. Ten of us signed up for the very easy swap: bake enough of your favorite cookie to share with nine other coworkers. The result was fabulous! We didn’t all have to spend the entire weekend in the kitchen, but we got a delicious variety of sweet and chocolatey treats to share with friends and family.

When we got together for the exchange, we had fun learning about the different kinds of cookies and admiring the unique holiday packaging (we declared Hobby Lobby the best resource for cute bags). We each talked about the type of cookie we made and explained the significance, if any, of the recipe. I made my family’s sugar cookie recipe and decorated each cookie, while one of our designers made an authentic Bosnian dessert. Next year, we’ll each bring a recipe card for the exchange, too, so we can recreate a new holiday favorite.

This is a really easy and fun team activity. Everyone gets to take home delicious goodies and share a little bit about their holiday traditions, too. In our cookie exchange, we had brand new recipes and family favorites shared. You can use this opportunity to learn more about your teammates as individuals and celebrate the holiday season in a friendly way.

Here are a few of the recipes we swapped in our office cookie exchange:

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

Chocolate Toffee Matzo Candy

Chocolate-Caramel Cookie Bars

Russian Tea Cakes

Rolo Cake Mix Cookies

You can find more of our team's favorite recipes on our Pinterest Board, Office Potluck Ideas. 

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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.

This week, we’re privileged to have Jennifer V. Miller return to the Recognition at Work blog to reflect on the gift of giving!  Please make Jennifer feel welcome with your kind comments!

The act of giving someone recognition is a gift that’s in season all year long. And, it’s the gift that truly keeps on giving. Consider this: according to researchers from University of California, San Diego and Harvard, positive behaviors like giving someone praise is a sort of social “contagion”—it’s scientifically proven that one person’s act of kindness creates a cascading effect, prompting others to “pay it forward” and also do good. 

But not all praise is created equal. The value of being recognized is truly in the eye of the beholder, as I wrote in the post Recognition. It’s All Good. Right? Wrong. Some people adore public recognition while others abhor it.  I outlined four types of recognition preferences that people have. Here they are again, along with specific suggestions that will please each type.

1. No-Frills – Cheers Kit note. The small space requires a short and concise note, so you better get to the point quickly!

2. Social – Throw a part in their honor for a birthday, anniversary, or major accomplishment.

3. Low-Key – Show your sincerity by recognizing immediately after the behavior takes place with a handwritten card, a Shout Out in your peer recognition program, or simply stopping by to deliver your kudos in person.

4. Specific – Make sure every recognition gift or award includes a handwritten card that goes into detail about the accomplishment or behavior that’s being recognized. Don’t let an email suffice! A tangible, personal note will be saved and cherished – and make your recognition more effective.

How to know which type of recognition your colleagues prefer? It’s simple: ask them! They may be surprised by your inquiry, but it’s just another way to show that you care about them as an individual, not as a cog in the corporate system.

So go on, now. Take a walk around your office and pay attention to your co-workers. What type of recognition would they best enjoy? And remember, recognition is one present that’s great for re-gifting, time and time again.

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Jennifer V. Miller founded SkillSource in 1995, with a mission to help leaders and their organizations “master the people equation”. She shares her thoughts on creating professionalism in the digital age on her blog, The People Equation

We’re feeling very cheerful at Baudville. Our Year End party is one week from today, and we're all excited! It’s a time when we celebrate the year as a team and have a lot of fun! Plus, we’re listening to Christmas music in the office, so we’re definitely in the holiday spirit.

We want to spread our cheer with all of you by giving away a free gift! Use code JOLLY at checkout and receive one of our Snowman Cheer to Our Year Note Cube and Pen Gift Set for FREE when any order of just $50.

Continue to spread the cheer by giving your Note Cube and Pen Gift Set away to a deserving recipient:
• Your boss
• Your administrative assistant
• The individual who delivers your mail or newspaper
• Your local librarian who always has a great book recommendation
• Your stylist who keeps you looking great
• An outstanding volunteer
• Your kid’s teacher
• A friendly cashier at your local grocery store

Or keep it for yourself and get some cheer every time you look at it on your desk!

How are you going to use your free Note Cube and Pen Gift Set? Tell me in the comments, and I'll give away a matching Snowman Travel Mug to one lucky person! 

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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.