The Gallery Collection was pleased to recently donate 125 holiday cards to the Peoria Vet Center in Peoria, IL. We have a long history of making charitable donations to service groups for both Veterans and active military. It is a tradition that The Gallery Collection is very proud of!
If you are interested in learning more about America’s military Veterans you can visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. http://www.va.gov/
As the owner of a small company, when a disgruntled employee comes to me with a complaint involving another employee, or employees, I find the best way to deal with it is to hear from everyone involved, individually and then together. I’m sure we’ve all heard the cliché, there are two sides to every story, as well as nothing is black or white, it’s all grey. I find that LISTENING to the employees is of utmost importance. Usually, they calm themselves after airing their views, knowing someone cares enough to hear them after which we can work on resolving their anger/frustration. Taking the time to show that you care and want to help is a great attribute both to you and the employee. Keeping this in mind I have always had 100% positive results.
If the disgruntled employee’s complaint does not involve another person, but rather a situation, i.e. they would like to sit in an area away from a window; they have expressed concerns about getting a new chair, keyboard, art supplies, to their Supervisor to no avail, I assure them that I will personally take the time to look into the situation, and reach a satisfactory solution, one that is agreeable to all concerned. It works every time.
Somehow, long, long ago, I became the gift buyer for our office. Any time there is a birthday, wedding, retirement or employment anniversary, I am the one everyone turns to figure out what to get. I thought I’d share our go-to birthday gifts that are ideal for coworkers.
Personally, I think gift cards are fabulous. You can get them in large or small amounts, and you can get them for almost any establishment. So, if you are getting a birthday gift for someone and it is just from you, you can get a $10 or $20 gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks, Target or Amazon, or simply a Visa gift card.
If it is a group gift, where you have collected money from a group of people, then a restaurant gift card in a larger dollar amount is usually well received. Another plus for gift cards is that they are so convenient to find. The local drug stores now carry an enormous amount of gift cards from many different stores. Gift cards are truly our go-to birthday gift. The only downside I sometimes hear is that they lack the “personal touch” but that is what makes them perfect gifts for co-workers. You can add a personal touch by writing a nice personalized birthday card to go along with it. Also, if you pick someone’s favorite restaurant, or store, the personal touch is that you knew enough about them to select one of their favorites.
Having trouble thinking of exactly how to write a thank you letter? Well, first of all, congratulations for having such good manners! Secondly, just say how you feel. Maybe it is easier for you to start with an outline; remember who, what, when, where and how from grammar school?
• Who gave you the gift? (very important to personalize)
• What was the gift? (nice to mention in the letter again to make more personal)
• When was it given? (for which occasion)
• Where was the gift given? (was it a party?)
• How will you use the gift? (mention what the gift meant to you)
Dear Aunt Betty,
Thank you for the ear buds you gave me for my birthday. I will remember you every time I plug in to listen to my favorite tunes. It was wonderful seeing you at my party and look forward to seeing you again soon.
Love,
Your Niece Barbie
Also, keep in mind what not to do.
• Do not write a generic thank you letter and Xerox it for mass mailing.
• Do not go on and on, just get to the point and write a sincere thank you letter.
• Do not sound phony. If you don’t like the gift you can thank the giver for their thoughtfulness and generosity.
• Do not wait too long so send your thank you note
Signing birthday cards can be a tricky business. Many of us like to take the lazy way out and let the card’s greeting do the heavy lifting, and just sign our name. Others like to pour their heart out in their cards. Most of us, though, just want to write a little something extra to show that we have put some thought into the occasion. For ideas on what to write in cards for friends, co-workers and others, I have some popular birthday card sayings to share.
Sending specific wishes is a good idea: “Relax and enjoy yourself on your birthday – you deserve it!” is a message that will always be appreciated. If you want to go the humorous route on a card for a co-worker, you could try “You’re my favorite co-worker – whose birthday is today” . One can never go wrong going with a sincere message: “You are a great co-worker and a great friend. Happy Birthday!” Although the card stores carry many “milestone” birthday cards, I advise staying away from any age related cards unless you know the person well enough to know that their advancing age is not a sore point. With a classy card and a heartfelt birthday card saying, you will get your point across and hopefully make someone’s day
When a co-worker loses a loved one, even the most confident among us sometimes find it a challenge to know the right thing to say. The obvious and most practical thing to do when dealing with a death in the office is to send thoughtful sympathy cards with a personal note included. But who among us has not stared at a card, pen in hand, wondering what would be appropriate? It is admirable to want to comfort someone, but the co-worker relationship has to be considered. It is appropriate to express your feelings to your co-worker by recognizing that the person is suffering. Statements like “I’m sorry for your loss” or “My thoughts are with you and your family at this time” show them that you care.
Don’t avoid a colleague who is grieving simply because you don’t know what to say. Honesty is the best policy in this situation. You can simply say, “I just don’t know what to say, but I am sorry for your loss.” Again, a tasteful sympathy card can come to your rescue if speaking directly to someone about this topic has you stumped. Conversely, offering too much info or advice can overwhelm a co-worker who is coping with a difficult situation. For example, relating about how your grandfather suffered in his final days would not be helpful. In short, an honest, simple response is often the best approach.
Keeping track of your employee birthday cards can be so simple. I have found that by ordering birthday cards for my employees at the beginning of the year, I can obtain the best discounts for the year. The Gallery Collection has a large array of cards that are of high quality paper stock, embossed in an array of foil and colors and large in size. I order the classic seal fast envelopes (self-sealing) which are made with a pearlized lining adding a classy touch to the card and allowing for a quick closure.
I’ve kept a spreadsheet log of my employees birthdays for many years, listed by months and days, in order not to miss any special dates. Every year, I choose a new design with a different greeting, not to repeat the prior year. I love seeing the faces of my dedicated group of employees, knowing that I have made an impact on their very special day of the year. Ordering a box of cards not only saves time and money, but assures me to remember the people that make me successful. Next time your order cards for your employees, check out the Gallery Collection!
As part of The Gallery Collection’s charitable donation program, we made a donation of 1,000 holiday cards to Brooke’s Blossoming Hope for Childhood Cancer Foundation. The mission of Brooke’s Blossoming Hope is unique in the two-fold concept of helping children with cancer directly by providing them hand crafted headwear during the difficulties of hair loss, but also by raising awareness of the need to both find and fund cures for pediatric cancer.
Until her diagnosis with cancer in November 2010, Brooke Hester was a regular happy, healthy little girl. Her battle with Stage IV Neuroblastoma cancer has led her down the path of hope to find cures, and Blossoming Hope now exists to make a bigger difference for other children globally fighting all kinds of pediatric cancer.
The wonderful people at Brooke’s Blossoming Hope for Childhood Cancer Foundation were kind enough to send us some of the beautiful hand crafted headwear they create. One can imagine the joy a feathery flower can give a child who is fighting such a courageous battle. We’ll be sure to share our beautiful gift!
For more information about Brooke’s Blossoming Hope for Childhood Cancer Foundation, and how you can help, please visit their website at http://www.brookesblossoms.org/Brookes_Blossoming_Hope/Hope.html.
As a senior HR manager, I highly recommend acknowledging each employee’s anniversary with a simple gesture. In fact boosting employee loyalty and strengthening morale can often be obtained with a personal card, letter or phone call. I prefer to send cards, and one of the most common questions I get from my colleagues is “What should I write on employee Happy Anniversary cards?” The answer will vary, of course, from company to company, and from employee to employee. But my experience has shown me that a few sincere words from management will often do the trick.
In these modern times, employees generally need more than their paycheck. The feeling of being appreciated is extremely crucial to job success and commitment. Some organizations choose to acknowledge every anniversary, while others prefer to recognize “significant anniversaries” like 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, etc. Personal recognition can be obtained with sending an elegant card and some words of appreciation. Choose your cards thoughtfully, keeping professionalism in mind. Then, including phrases like “Thank you for your hard work and dedication” and “We appreciate your being part of our success” or any genuine expression of thanks can be worth more to an employee than an expensive gift.
