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! 

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!

Over the years, I have volunteered for a number of different organizations. And I’ve done it for a number of reasons: desire to help people in need, passion for a particular cause, and an interest in growing my community. Never once did I decide to do it because of a strong need to feel appreciated.

That said, I have a confession: when, at one organization, I felt frustrated over their poor communication and unresponsiveness, I kind of lost the drive to continue giving my valuable time and talent. And, after repeated incidents of feeling like all of my work was just being sucked into a gaping void, I decided to step down.  

Does this make me a bad person? Maybe a little. But I am also human and, from what I’ve heard, so are a lot of other people. Honestly, if we’re going to put forth an effort, most of us need to know what we’re doing is making some kind of difference.

If you’re an organization that thrives on the time, skills, and unpaid labor of volunteers, you know that these folks aren’t in it for money, or fame, or recognition. But that doesn’t mean that they’re OK with working in a vacuum.

So, what can you do to ensure that your volunteers feel their work is worthwhile and meaningful? Show volunteer appreciation and cultivate an environment of growth and acknowledgement by offering:

Information: Above all, provide proper tools, information, and feedback so your volunteers can be as effective as possible. This can be in the form of educational materials, newsletters and event calendars, and email updates.

Communication: Not only do you need to be available to answer questions and give direction; you also want to reinforce your goals, identify achievements and setbacks, and express a clear message that through everyone’s contributions, you are fulfilling your mission.  

Appreciation: This is the easiest part. Say thank you. Say great job. Say you’re making a difference. Say together everyone achieves more. You don’t need to do it every day; but you really do need to do it.

We’re here to help you with that, with two new volunteer appreciation themes for the new year that are perfect for inspiring and motivating.

 
Together Everyone Achieves More is a team-oriented, gender-neutral theme that helps you emphasize the unique skills of individual volunteers  - and the success they can attain when they bring those skills together.

Making a Difference 2012 is lively and energetic, with a message that will reassure volunteers that they matter - and galvanize their spirits every day of the year. It’s also an ideal theme for your annual volunteer appreciation celebration!

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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!

While working as a department supervisor, I had a team leader reporting to me who had a peculiar ritual: at the start of each day and again at 3:00 in the afternoon she and her team would stand up and sing together “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” complete with hand claps during the refrains. This was odd to me, for one because we were located in Michigan, and two because, well, I just didn’t get it. I thought it was annoying, disruptive, and total a waste of time. And, in the end, I actually told her she had to stop. This didn’t go over well, and I became even less popular than I already was.

Now that I’ve had many years to mature and reflect on my period of tyranny, I’ve come to see it all more clearly. What she knew that I didn’t at the time was that these breaks in the work day were critical to maintaining high morale, keeping her team energized, and building unity among everyone. And to think I destroyed all of that with one single no. :sigh:

Here at Baudville, I’ve participated in many different diversions during the workday that may seem absurd, or appear to be nothing more than straight-up goofing off; but I can assure you that the value they bring will buy back the time spent ten-fold.

For example, the creative team works in a deadline-driven environment that experiences drastic ebbs and flows in workload. Some days we’re shouting frantic updates over the cube walls and crashing in to one another running to and from the printer; others we are struggling to concentrate under the absence of any pressure.

When the heat is on, taking a brief intermission to play a game of ping pong relaxes the nerves, gets the blood pumping, and refuels an exhausted mind. All of us have found that when we work straight through without any breaks, we’ve completely lost steam by late afternoon – yet, somehow, we need to keep going. In contrast, it’s these short, non-working moments that give us the mental and emotional nourishment to push on.

When the heat is not on, pausing for a 10-minute round of Bananagrams can turn lethargy into levity – just like that! Creative activities like this get our brains churning, inspire conversations, and sometimes create hilarious moments that end up forming powerful bonds.

No matter what type of environment you’re in – faced-paced, slow & steady, or a little of both – your team will benefit from some spontaneous fun. Visit our brand new, totally revamped Recognition Resource Center to get all kinds of ideas. Read articles, download free print & posts, and even watch funny videos.

And, for goodness’ sake, take some advice from a former Scrooge: if you’ve ever looked on a form of workplace merry-making with contempt or disapproval, I encourage you to lighten up and take a fresh perspective – and maybe even join in. You’ll foster an atmosphere where people flourish and look forward to coming to work. Because being light-hearted really is serious business!

What kinds of activities do you do during the workday to energize and rejuvenate yourself and your team? Share your ideas 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!     

If your office is anything like ours during November and December, then there’s probably a tray of cookies, a tin of peppermint bark, and/or a basket of gourmet cheese around every corner—as well as a sneaky little feast fairy waiting to sprinkle on the unwanted pounds. Definitely not the kind of holiday magic any of us is wishing for!

Knowing that weight is much easier gained than lost (I’ve done both; it’s true!), we decided to encourage our fellow Baudvillians to “Hold it for the Holidays” as part of our ongoing health & wellness campaign.

Holding it for the Holidays is simple (in theory): participants pledge not to gain any weight for the entire 6-week season. But, to make sure that there’s more at stake than the ill repute of a broken promise, we added a little incentive. Curious? Read on…

Starting your own Hold it for the Holidays challenge is easy. Here’s what to do:

• Buy a digital scale (to ensure accuracy), and set it up in a private area.
• Set start and end dates. Ours started before Thanksgiving and will end after New Year’s Day.
• Invite everyone on staff to participate voluntarily.
• Require each participant to contribute $10 and weigh in (confidentially) at the start of the challenge. (We assigned one person to monitor the private weigh ins and take down each person’s weight.)
• Sweeten the pot with a matching donation from the company fund.
• Encourage participants throughout the challenge with tips & ideas for staying on track.
• Require every participant to “weigh out” at the end of the challenge.   
• Split the pool of money between all successful participants!

For our challenge, we have 20 participants (about 25% of the company), and I can tell by the vibe that we’re all in it to win it. But it’s not like there’s a great deal of money at stake. We reasoned it out and determined that $10 was the sweet spot: not so much that it prohibited participation; but enough, including the company match, to make it appealing and worth the effort.

We also know that many people make a mental vow to stay on track during the holidays; but get derailed the second the lid comes off that first box of chocolates. This challenge helps provide the consciousness, accountability, and motivation to stick to it!

What ways do you promote health & wellness during the holidays? Share your ideas with us—we’d love to hear them!

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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!