Alison Bukowski’s Post

It was 9pm and I was still at the office packing up when I realized that I had misplaced my glasses. One of the cleaners, a tall, gentle man - let’s call him Leo, left his work to spend 40 minutes checking all the boardrooms to help me find them . We didn’t. The next day, he unexpectedly came back to my office to let me know he’d asked the day staff but sadly to no avail. I found this to be such an exceptional stretch of his actual responsibility to me that I sent his boss an email highlighting his actions, thanking him and expressing my appreciation and copied him on the email. A week later, Leo brought me a local coffee shop gift card to thank ME and shared that in all his years of working there, no-one had ever thanked him and neither had my most recent email been acknowledged. Upon reflection, the easiest thing to say here is the obvious: people are people-- they deserve to be seen-- but there’s more. Organizational culture lies below that gift card. We now live in a time when employees are asking if not demanding that their employer be aligned with their values. The traditional values of faith, family, friends and more showing up as requests for employer social awareness, commentary on war, positions on racial activity, climate change and political agendas. I tend to think this may not be what is actually happening but rather employees want their organization to take a stand on the larger agendas because they feel unseen in the smaller issues. The human need, the employee need, to be seen and heard creates a menu of deep insecurity, resentment and disengagement—all of which results in a deeper ask from the organization—often about external culture. This ask is a human cry for "see me, take me into account, I am human, I have emotions and a life that matters to me”. "Thank you” every day. Much easier than multiple meetings to work through the complexity and nuance of organizational communications and stances on macro world issues. #employeeexperience #culturematters #leadershipcoach

Ever noticed how a single word of appreciation can light up someone's day? ✨ In the midst of our busy season, it's more important than ever to recognize the hard work of our teams. With #NationalEmployeeAppreciationDay upon us, let's seize the opportunity to show our gratitude. Celebrate the dedication and achievements of our colleagues, not just today, but every day. Here are 10 simple yet impactful ways to show your employees you care: ☕ Buy them coffee 🏆 Compliment their work 🕒 Offer a "late start" or "early finish" day 🍲 Host a team lunch 💌 Write a personalized thank you note 🛍️ Offer gift cards to their favorite spots 🌱 Gift a desk plant for their workspace 👏 Publicly praise their achievements in meetings 💬 Empathize with their work struggles and provide solutions 🤝 Provide mentorship and career development conversations Small gestures can make a big difference in boosting morale and building a positive work environment. Let's put these into action and make every day feel like #ThankYou #EmployeeAppreciation"

Guess what’s in the box?!? Welcome boxes going out today to this week’s new clients - but any guesses as to what they actually receive? 🤔 Do you send onboarding gifts to your new clients? Interested to hear your thoughts. ☀️🎆 #welcomeonboard #clientgift #nicesurprise

If you think any of the following things will "build culture" in your company, see me in my office. We need to chat. Themed "spirit days" Two Truths and a Lie Happy Hour at a bar Company kickball tourney Beer fridge Gift swaps (Secret Santa, white elephant) Gift cards to Amazon and Starbucks Weird company-sponsored massages Catered lunch Bean bag chairs / Modular seating Branded company swag Weird team building activities Schmoozy holiday parties Company weight loss contests 🤢 Team 5K, yoga, or hiking excursions Don't use these to build Culture. Even if you, or others, enjoy the items on this list -- they don't foster healthy team dynamics, make work life easier, or retain employees who would otherwise want to leave. Why? 1. The activities and gifts are not even a positive experience for half your workforce or more. At all. Some people don't drink, some are introverted, some just want to go home to their families. The half that like this kind of stuff will naturally engage with each other and set up "fun" for themselves. I promise the golden retrievers in your company aren't your top Culture concern. 2. Even if they're fun, your people don't need more silly activities or "perks" MORE than they need to build real trust and intimacy, gain clarity on their role and contribution, recieve quality compensation and real benefits, experience respect and inclusivity, recieve adewuatw accommodation for their needs and gain skills and growth. 3. Each unique group of people, in each unique company, requires a specified set of Culture improvements that can only be planned and facilitated for them AND by them. Most of these solutions will impact the WORK experience and the TEAM dynamics. Their solutions won't include swag, I promise you that. If you want to know what DOES foster a strong culture, follow me and comment "fix our culture" below. You can DM instead. I have a freebie, a special offer, and another resource for you. 🎁 It's not an Amazon gift card lol ----- #companyculture #corporateculture #workplaceculture #employeeretention

They never forget about you. Please don’t forget about them! For most of my professional career, I was the one who reminded the boss about admin professionals day. I never wanted our team admin to think we forgot. Or receive a generic, afterthought gift. So especially for those who used to rely on my friendly reminders … here’s a few ideas 😉 🥗 Take your admin & team out to lunch (you can do this virtually too!) 💐 Send or give flowers (not from the gas station) 💵 Buy a gift certificate to a favorite store (If you know their favorites) 🌞 Give the afternoon off (and don’t call while they’re out!) 📝 Send a hand-written thank you (and write it yourself) 🚗 Pick up their DoorDash bill for dinner 🍪Deliver a favorite dessert And of course my favorite … 🏆 Have each person on the team to send a Greeting of Gratitude that explains what they appreciate most about your fabulous admin! And remember … meaningful thanks MUST be: ✅ Given in the Moment (not Friday afternoon) ✅ Unforgettable (a memorable, personal moment) ✅ Specific (not thanks for all you do, please!) ✅ Tailored to personal preferences (something you know they like!) . . . . . #adminday #administrativeprofessionalsday #administrativeassistant #adminassistant #adminsday #administrativeprofessionals #happyadministrativeprofessionalsday #icelebrateyou #saythanks #theperfectwords

Today is National Employee Appreciation Day! Here are 5 ideas for recognizing the talent, hard work, and contributions of your employees. Your people are your company’s greatest asset, and they deserve to be celebrated! - Write personalized thank-you notes to your team members. - Have a "theme day" or a casual dress day. - Provide a catered breakfast or lunch. - Arrange for a mid-afternoon ice cream break. - Surprise employees with some company swag or a gift card. What does your company do to show appreciation to your employees? #employeeappreciation #employeeappreciationday

Whilst onboarding this week, this pic of a doggy catching a frisbee keeps coming up. It's a random piece of Scoro lore... let me explain... CEO Fred Krieger regularly wheels out this picture in keynotes and presentations. He uses it to articulate that most of us behave like a dog when it comes to work. Dog's are totally REACTIVE. They have no idea what comes next, and simply respond to stimuli. You throw the frisbee, and they chase after it. Catch it if they're athletic. That's how many of us behave in the workplace. Our lives are dictated by notifications, slack messages, emails. The needs of others vs our own needs - and they constantly distract us from what's important, or the task at hand. If you constantly live like this, the urgent things get done, but never the important non-urgent. Being PROACTIVE, on the other hand, is defined as: creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened. His advice? Disable notifications. Check email and slack a couple times a day, on your terms (unless your role revolves around email). If you have notifications turned on, try turning them off for a week. See what happens...

An extended answer to a question from LinkedIn: HOW CAN YOU RECOGNIZE AND REWARD PEER SUPPORT LEADERS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE ? Recognizing and rewarding colleagues who are leaders in customer support can make a huge difference in their motivation and overall team morale. Here are some strategies you can use: When it comes to our customer support leaders, we don't spare compliments. They are the real heroes of our daily work, and we want them to know it. That's why we don't just say 'thank you' - we do it loud and clear. At weekly meetings, we can celebrate their achievements, share their success stories on the intranet, and we can even create a 'Wall of Fame' in the office. But you need to go beyond words. You can create a rewards program that includes gift cards, bonus vacation days, and even special trainings for personal growth. I believe that investing in people is the best investment we can make. And when your customers leave positive feedback, make sure your leaders hear about it. Nothing beats recognition that comes directly from those you help. Professional development: Invest in developing leaders' skills by providing training and certification opportunities. Internal promotion: Provide opportunities for career growth within the company, emphasizing their contribution to the success of the team. We also strive to get to know our employees not just as professionals, but as individuals. So when we choose how to reward them, we take into account their interests and preferences. Whether it's tickets to a concert of their favorite artist or an extra day of vacation, we want our appreciation to be special. This approach not only boosts morale within the team, but also has a positive impact on the customer experience, creating warmer and more personal connections.

Elevate Your Corporate GIFTING with Experience-Packed GIFT CARDS! Are you tired of giving the same old gift cards? Imagine rewarding your employees with something that not only delights but enhances their quality of life. 🤸♀️ With Ithara.ae CORPORATE GIFT CARDS, your team can choose from thrilling adventures to relaxing getaways – the perfect way to boost morale and create lasting MEMORIES. Want to foster team bonding? Let them enjoy these experiences together. There's no better bonding than what happens outside the office. Show your EMPLOYEES you truly CARE by offering them the gift of unforgettable moments. Talk to us today and make your next corporate gift one to remember! How will you reward your team this year? 🎁 🎄 #gifting #giftcard #experiencedubai #corporategifting