Well, not being a 'corporate' type [loose usage in particular ways in this instance] to begin with, I couldn't agree more, Manna. Two co-workers [one's since left when she moved north] and I have spent a considerable amount of time discussing that very concept. Rewarding an individual for great teamwork seems a bit of an oxymoron, doesn't it? For one thing, it was contingent on the team for it to happen. It seems more divisive to me than anything because what about all of the others who just sit and watch it happen... particularly, when they're simply not being recognized for positive things they're doing! This I've watched happen, as some have collected multiples of these little awards [penguins, 'missing links' or something like that, that's a piece to a puzzle], due to a favoritism factor. I've ALSO watched ~ get this ~ a woman [who's gotten multiples] get a couple because of her HUSBAND doing BBQing on his grill for a couple of our events
! I've talked with my supervisor about all of this ~ this entire paragraph ~ and her response was, "I knoooow, but I can't do anything about it... it's 'her thing' [meaning her boss]."
The system we have now, which I've also taken my objections to my supervisor about are little gratitude notes that we give each other for things appreciated. However, some aren't even inclined to fill out those little notes... some are, but forget... and others stuff the ballot box for their buddies. So, each month, at our meeting... the ones that have been garnered from the previous time period are all put in a basket and one person [different each time] pulls one out, and that person gets a $25 gift certificate to Wal-Mart or Publix. OK. Great. However, again, the Luck of the Draw... one person got 3 in a row
. What about everyone else? Especially since, our head honcho is always bragging to us and others about us regarding what a "great team" we have at this office. My suggestion to my supervisor was that each month, we give one of the $25 gift certificates to each person who's having a birthday that month. Then, by the end of the year, everyone will for sure have received one. Wouldn't it be nice to know that on your birthday, you'll get a $25 gift certificate from the office... and keep up the great teamwork!?! Response: "Yes, I knoooow, that's a good idea... but this is how she [her boss] wants to do it, so I can't do anything about it."
I took the idea of the poetry sharing to the [her] boss and she said, "That sounds like a good idea, Elizabeth; but [the person's name] already has a plan for that space. It's three, glassed-in paneled spaces, side by side, for displaying things. I had suggested using one of the panels for the poetry, with them typed out, for better space utilization. The display panels are supposed to be changed monthly, but the reality is that they go unchanged for months. So. The new idea? This is how she described it to me [closely paraphrased]: "In the left panel, remember how when we were in school [grade school], we would put our goals on a bulletin board, with a theme like, maybe, football? Each goal written on a football? Then, as we accomplished them, the football would be 'kicked over' to the other side? Well, the center panel can be used for news events for the month; the left panel, for our goals for this year; and the right panel, to put the footballs or whatever we use, for whatever we accomplish." At our monthly meeting, she described it using the football analogy [though she also mentioned gold coins for the goals on the left and a pot for the coins to end up in on the right], relating it to "remember when we were in kindergarten and we . . . ," with our individual assignment now to be to write down a couple of our personal/work goals, whether it's to lose 10 pounds in the next years, or to take a computer class, or whatever. We don't need to put our name on it. It can be anonymous, as we'll each know which one is our own [aren't goals supposed to have some kind of measurability and accountability factors built in?]. Then, as they get accomplished "they'll be kicked or whatever" to the other side. Tra la la la la. Dynamic, eh? YaY team.
Don't get me wrong. I know the value and the power of writing down our goals and of visualization. However... is this the greatest use of limited office, display space? Not to my way of thinking.
Now... if one were to take a little side trip to our break room, they would find a broken wall clock that has been at 12:43 and 23 seconds for ~ literally, no exaggeration ~ about 1.5 years, with the second hand twitching, trying to move forward. I've mentioned it, but am not going to harangue about it... though it would be nice to know what time it is, as long as it's there. The other thing that's there [on the back wall, the clock is on the wall that you face, when you walk in] is a dry-marker board with a sort of 'ladder' drawn, with the 'steps' being demarcations with numbers at each one. The ladder is tilted steeply to the right and there's a 'man' marching up it. He's cut out of black construction paper that has since 'wilted' slightly outward at his head. Beneath the 'ladder' to the right is a pot filled with gold coins [that same 'success' symbol as used with the above idea re: footballs or coins]. The fiscal year is 2006. The stated, monthly, work-related, minimum goal is written to the left, and then each month is written in with how many there were each month and the date when the data was measured. The writing-in started in July, 2006. The last entry made was December, 2006. I've mentioned to my supervisor that when other professionals [from other offices and the community, including from other towns and cities] visit our office for one reason or another and go to our break room for a cup of coffee or to have lunch, that this may not be the impression we want to be giving... with our broken clock and outrageously-outdated 'progress' chart. "Yeah, I knoooow... " [The point has also been made that the head honcho doesn't like to be 'corrected.']
I can't wait for the Super Bowl to begin!
Breathtaking all 365 days ~ no doubt.
Meanwhile, thanks for the penguin... I love penguins and because of
that, it was the only token I was really interested in, so it worked out well; and I won the $25 two months ago.
Last month and
this month, two people who I wrote a gratitude note for each month, won those two months.
This month, the one person said it was the only gratitude note she had gotten.
Sharing our favourite poetry??? Ha
. I knew it was a long shot, but still worth a try. I guess some might be surprized why I keep this and Anjani's site minimized on my browser, but I'm not. I still get my work done.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to get that "off my chest," Manna. The person with whom I used to talk about it most is now living in the northeast and experiencing snow and ice for the first time ever
!
~ Lizzy
