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Healthcare Training Institute - Quality Education since 1979

Section 26
Treats and Surprises

Table of Contents | NCCAP/NCTRC CE Booklet

Joyful Surprises
There are other ways to add joy to the workplace in addition to miniature candy bars and extended break coupons. 

The Idea:
Think of special ways you can surprise another employee and add joy to their sometimes extremely difficult days.

The Idea In Action:
Draw names for a Secret Pal
Give a compliment to someone you don’t know well in your facility, or to your Secret Pal.
Give a small anonymous gift to a co-worker who is down, or to your Secret Pal.
Drop off a small plant to another department that supports you, or to your Secret Pal.
Call or email someone in the facility just to say, "I appreciate you.”
Surprise a co-worker, or your Secret Pal, with a newspaper or magazine he/she would enjoy.

“Pass It On” Cards
The Idea:
Everyone likes to receive a surprise, especially if it is one that involves appreciation. And it is even more fun if the surprise can be a part of an ongoing process.

The Idea In Action:
One of my personal signatures is that whenever I speak to a group, I give each person in the group a “Pass It On” card, which has a butterfly on it and says on the front, “You make the world more special just by being in it.” On the back it reads “Keep this or pass this card on to another.”

Tips For Implementation:
The preprinted cards can come with a variety of sayings on them, These are a few of my favorites:

“You  make the world more special just by being in it.” Reverse side states, “Keep this or pass this card on to another.”“Thank you for making my day better”.  Reverse side states, “Keep this or pass this card on to another.”
“Thank you for your help.” Reverse side states, “Keep this or pass this card on to another.”
“You brighten my day.” Reverse side states, “Keep this or pass this card on to another.”
“I’m glad you are you.” Reverse side states, “Keep this or pass this card on to another.”
“You make a difference in residents’ lives.”  Reverse side states, “Keep this or pass this card on to another.”

Create your own.  Then, choose the ones that feel good to you and that will not offend the staff member to whom you give it, or even have a variety of cards for dif­ferent staff . These are also easy to create on the computer and can be handed to an employee, or stuck under office doors as a special surprise.  Consider introducing this idea at a department head meeting.

1. Assessing if the level of support warrants implementing it.
2. If it does, ask for their suggestions regarding what to put on the cards.
3. Provide department heads with cards containing slogans they have chosen.
4. After seven days, ask department head for names of employees to whom they have given the cards.  By knowing they will be accountable, the department head may be more likely to distribute them.
5. If you feel staff jealousy will be involved, rather than having department heads distribute the cards, make this a peer activity, where CNAs give them to other CNAs, etc.

Just-Because Committee

The Idea:
Create a volunteer committee from across departments, perhaps spearheaded by someone in Activities, to plan special events to appreci­ate your employees.

The Idea In Action:
They plan special events for the employees about every other month. Here are some of the things they have done:

All employees were invited during the lunch hour to come for hot dogs, hamburgers, and brats in the parking lot. Grills were set up, and staff could even bring their small children.
For “Beat the Winter Blues,” the committee sponsored a Yahtzee competition with prizes.
On Valentine’s Day they put a chocolate heart on each employee’s desk with a card that said, “Just because.”
Also at Christmas they send a Rockwell calendar and candy to the home of each employee.
One month they had a Mexican theme at lunch with piñatas and a “make your own taco” party.

Tips For Implementation:
Let employees plan these events, and try to get as many depart­ments as possible on the committee to ensure buy-in. Give them a budget for the year, and then let their creativity blossom! Not only will they learn lots about event planning, but you will also have a much happier and therefore more productive workplace.  Granted, traditionally Activities plans employee events, but a team spirit will be further enhanced if other departments are able to express their preferences.