By Linda Herman - an Optimum HR Systems Associate
A day off. Easier in slow times and always appreciated.
A gift card or Visa card for even a small amount ($15-$25)
Sporting event, concert or theatre tickets. Maybe this is the college team, not the pros, or the “off-Hennepin” theatre district instead of Broadway. Use these only when you know there might be a true interest, though.
If you know someone’s pet college or pro team, a coffee mug, hat or T-shirt given with a bit of fanfare for “going a little above and beyond” behavior.
Peer nomination program. Call it something like “The Human Connection” and make it fun. Invite people nominate co-workers for work related AND non-work related deeds. The nominator and the nominee both get a point. If you know someone is volunteering at the soup kitchen every other Saturday morning, letting others know spreads a lot of good will, and maybe even entices someone else to volunteer. At the end of the month or two weeks, person with the most points earns the honor of keeping the department’s “Human Connection” traveling trophy” for a week. Make the trophy something that gets a little visibility, like a stuffed animal.
One work group that I was privileged to work with had the dancing flower pot ritual. This is as corny as it comes, but every time something good happened in the department, as judged by the administrative assistant (who, by the way, also did stand-up comedy on the weekends), everyone in the department was notified and we gathered at her desk for the announcement of the deed and one rendition by the dancing flowerpot.
This one came to me from Dick Warren of Optimum and was used a few (maybe more) years back, but what a kind thought it is. When an employee was ill, the company would have a grocery store deliver a dozen oranges to the employee’s home.
Have lunch together as a department.
A sincere “thank you”. Always cost effective, always available and always appreciated
Guiding Principles:
- Try to stay away from things that mean extra work for someone.
- Be sincere, but watch the syrupy, sweet stuff as that can come off as over the top, trying too hard, etc.
- Keep it simple, short, quick and inexpensive.
- Keep it rolling. “Culturizing” a new idea takes a few times.
- Let it go when the punch is gone. Replace with another small activity or program.
Keep smiling.
About Linda Herman
Linda Herman is a principal consultant in Stanton Group’s compensation consulting & surveys department. She develops compensation programs ranging from non-exempt salary structures to executive compensation programs. Linda’s experience and skills also extend to developing programs in executive on-boarding, performance management, and organizational development.
With over 25 years of experience as a leader in compensation roles, Linda understands the challenges of leading compensation in organizations of all sizes. A former director of Stanton Group’s compensation consulting & surveys practice, Linda rejoined Stanton Group in 2007. Her corporate leadership background includes senior level roles at Fortune 500 companies, including Thrivent, Ameriprise, and Best Buy. Her consulting experience includes working in a wide variety of industries, including health care, engineering, manufacturing, casinos, financial services, grocery chains and many employee-owned organizations. Linda is able to leverage her depth and breadth of experience to develop customized, common sense solutions for each client.
Linda holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas. She is a member of WorldatWork, the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), and the Twin Cities Compensation Network.
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