I Have the Watch: Becoming a Leader Worth Following by Jon Rennie

Author:Jon Rennie [Rennie, Jon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Deck & Conn, LLC
Published: 2019-05-20T04:00:00+00:00

Doing Something Memorable

The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. – Pierre Corneille

When the company I co-founded celebrated its first anniversary, I wanted to do something special. As you can imagine, the first year of any new company is especially difficult because you are building everything from the ground up. Our first nine employees had to endure challenges that will never be seen by future employees. That makes them very special.

Because of that, I wanted to do something unique to thank them for their extraordinary efforts. The challenge, of course, was that we were a young company and our resources were going towards payroll, factory equipment, inventory, and travel to visit customers. I needed to create something significant that didn’t cost a lot.

It only took a quick walk around our offices to understand what is meaningful to people. You can see the same in your business. Employees decorate their individual work areas with things that have significance or meaning to them. If you look beyond the personal items to the work-related objects, you see the treasures employees keep to remind them of important times in their careers. They are tokens of the past proudly on display.

In my case, I have a photo signed by all the employees of my first manufacturing business. It is my most sacred work treasure because it reminds me of all the good times I had leading this amazing team.

If you want to give a memorable gift, something that will become a special treasure to your employees, consider these five principles:

It should be an exceptional event. It should represent a significant achievement. Gifts and celebrations should be special. They should represent something of importance to the company or employee. Celebrating and giving gifts too often minimize the impact.

It should fit on a desk. It should be something that can become a memento. Giving a gift card, a travel mug, or a T-shirt is great but it’s not likely to become a treasured token. Pick something that is unique and can be displayed in the employee’s work area without taking up space.

It should be personal. A gift with the company logo is nice but your gift will mean more if it is personalized. Something signed by the team or with the employee’s name and accomplishment will mean more.

It should show the employee is part of something special. As humans, we like to belong. Giving a gift that shows the employee belongs to a special or elite group will have more meaning. A patent plaque or a Six Sigma Black Belt award shows the employee has achieved a significant milestone in his or her career.

It should reinforce your principles. Keep in mind that the employee receiving the gift is not the only one who will be affected. Other employees should notice the gift and understand the significance. They should be motivated to try to achieve similar success.

In my case, I decided to give each of our employees a rock carved with the company logo and the phrase “The Founding Nine.

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