Surprise Your Team & Bring The Joy!

PATRICK BOOTH

Jan 9, 2023

I love making people smile with surprises! Over the years I have found that I can do the same thing with my employees at work. When is it a good time to do a surprise for your team? ANYTIME! 😊

I am writing this blog because I think this is a perfect time to bring a surprise to your people. Most people are coming back after the holidays with a little hesitation. It’s not because they don’t like their job (hopefully) but because they just had a whirlwind with family over the holidays. Also, new goals and starting from zero can be overwhelming for many.

So how can you bring some joy and fun to the work?

Buy Lunch For Everyone

Last week I did this by buying pizza for everyone. We came back to work on Tuesday after a long holiday break. I heard people felt refreshed, but it was still hard to come back. I decided this year I would be bring more JOY to the office by doing surprises. I realized this was a perfect time to bring in pizza for everyone. I was hoping I wouldn’t cause major frustrations with anyone’s new year resolutions. I got lots of thank you notes which filled my heart knowing the staff felt valued. In previous times we have brought in Qdoba or Chipotle for a nacho bar. Bringing in food has always been a huge hit!

Game Time (2 hours)

We have done several things to give the employees a break from work and socialize with each other. Last year, my team created a game time where employees can sign up to play a board game of their choice for a few hours. It was so much fun! We also had employees sign up to the be the leaders of the game so they could teach others. I was put at the Skyjo card game. I enjoyed it so much, I ordered it for my family this Christmas. We all played for hours (ages 7, 12, 16 and adults).

Write Thank You Notes

This is a wonderful way to show sincere appreciation towards your staff. Take time to write a personal note encouraging the staff member on their achievements and how much they mean to your team. This does take a lot of time but worth it. People don’t know how much care till you tell them. It will be a gift they always appreciate!

Spotlight Employees On A Board or TEAMS Channel

We created a TEAMS channel where employees could spotlight a fellow employee for their success. Another idea is to create a wall where you can post positive notes and messages about staff helping the team thrive. In the past we had each department vote on an employee on their team that truly made a difference for the team in that month. Each employee would be spotlighted in an email to the whole company and given a gift card as a thank you reward.

Give Money

Giving out bonuses or profit sharing is a wonderful way to show appreciation to your team. My parents started the tradition of doing both many years ago. This can be done discretionary, or you can set goals to earn those rewards. I have also heard some managers like to give a hundred handshake. I have never done this myself, but I know others have and it does really make an impact on employees.

Give Time Off

I think every employee appreciates it when a manager gives them time off paid. This could be an hour, half day or entire day. Most employees don’t have a lot of PTO to use so any extra time off paid is like gold. One of the things I created is giving each employee a paid PTO day off for their birthday. They can use it that day or use it another time. I wanted them to know we value their special day. I think the employees have felt appreciated by this gesture.

I hope this list helps you or gives you ideas on what to do for your team. I know your team will truly appreciate your efforts to show them your appreciation.

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