Some may be inclined to cut their business budget by eliminating unnecessary expenses, such as employee anniversary cards. I’ve heard the reasoning on this: “In this economy…,” “They should be happy they still have a job…,” “They get paid so what more do they expect?”

Fair enough. Just as fair as the employee who does only what he or she must do, and not a lick more.

You see, it’s all in the attitude, and attitude is contagious. It’s like Karma. What goes around comes around. If you accentuate the positive, you can eliminate the negative. You’ve got to give, to get. Give gratitude and you’ll get gratitude. Give enthusiasm and you’ll get enthusiasm. Give appreciation and you’ll be appreciated. And, not just you; your clients, customers and vendors will feel the effects of that good vibe and react in a like manner.

If you walk through your workplace with a smile and cheerful greeting for each person you see, you’ll find service with a smile spreading throughout your ranks. If you honor workers with employee anniversary cards, you’ll see their pride and confidence flourish. And that will lead to more energy, greater cooperation and bigger efforts, where going above and beyond becomes your company’s form of business as usual.

Do you think I’m using a lot of clichés? Try substituting “truth” for “cliché” because clichés came into being because they are, pretty much, universal truths.

Employee anniversary cards are small, simple, low-cost gestures. But think of their value in helping to retain your skilled, knowledgeable, and dependable staff members. And think of the money you save by not having to solicit, train, and gamble on new replacement personnel. That, and optimum productivity, is money in your pocket. I’d say those cards are worth their weight in gold now, aren’t they?

Every year I receive employee anniversary cards to acknowledge yet another 365 days with my company. When I hit my first year anniversary and I received my first anniversary card, I was presently surprised. Along with a personalized imprint, it was hand signed by my managers and more impressively, by the Executive Team. Why is that impressive? When you think about how busy the company leaders are one can then appreciate that they took the time out of their hectic schedules to let you know that they indeed feel that you are important to the success of the company. Our company leaders acknowledge every single employee’s anniversary for each year completed. Oh yeah, they acknowledge birthdays, as well.

The Gallery Collection is indeed successful. Smart too! This company is 80 years strong. This doesn’t happen without a solid team. From the executive members on down, each person is an important component to the success of the company. It is not only important to let your customers know that they are special, but to let your employees know that they are, too! Now I know that receiving personalized anniversary cards might not seem like a big deal to some, but I for one appreciate the attention given to these “little” details. Employee anniversary cards are just one simple way to boost morale.

I have worked for companies in the past that for the most part didn’t even know that I existed. I consider myself a good, loyal, and dependable worker, but even I found it hard to accept that not many people in the company knew who I was. After over six years on that job, other than my direct supervisors, management didn’t even know my name, let alone what I did. Sad, don’t you think?

Appreciated employees are happy employees! Happy employees are productive employees! Productive employees make happy customers! This sounds like a win-win-win situation to me.

I send a lot of greeting cards to a lot of people. But I have just realized that I rarely send anniversary cards. I don’t know why…

There are certainly enough reasons to send anniversary cards. Everyone celebrates an anniversary of one form or another. Think of all the different reasons you can send an anniversary card: wedding anniversaries, anniversaries of moving into the perfect home, anniversaries of finishing paying for the perfect home, the anniversary of the day your pet joined your family, or even the anniversary of the day you passed the BAR exam (or insert your professional exam in place of BAR).

But do you ever give much thought to sending employee anniversary cards to someone in order to commemorate how long they have been working in a particular company? Admittedly, I probably would never have given this topic much thought if I didn’t work for The Gallery Collection…a company that manufactures corporate greeting cards (including anniversary cards).

When I received my first anniversary card from The Gallery Collection (hand signed by our company’s President and the Chairman of the Board), I was truly delighted…and shocked. This occurred just a week after receiving a birthday card from The Gallery Collection (again, signed by both the President and Chairman), which had shocked me as well. I had never worked anywhere before where the company (as opposed to just the people who worked around you) would acknowledge a birthday, and certainly not an anniversary. Since we manufacture business greeting cards, I suppose you could say that commemorating how long we have worked here is part of our corporate culture. But I think it might be more than that.

Receiving a card that acknowledges an anniversary shows that you are considered an important member of the team and that your contributions are valued. When I received the first of many employee anniversary cards here at the Gallery Collection, especially since at the time I didn’t work in the office but at various vendor locations, it gave me a sense of belonging and made me feel that I was appreciated. I couldn’t believe how good it made me feel. And I returned to work the next day looking forward to my second anniversary at The Gallery Collection.