Morningstar Communications Luminary Blog

In my last post, I mentioned that the activities of the day were top secret. Since you are all curious, here are the details of our day.

The team was instructed to be ready to leave the office at 9:30 a.m. Several of us came in early to check email and voice mails. I think we were just too excited to sleep. Everyone received a T-shirt with our logo on it. After donning the treasured shirt we loaded into two cars. Destination: Town Center Plaza.

We all gathered around and I told them we were going on a scavenger hunt. All the clues were to be answered with a photo and they had to be in the order of the clues. No one was to go into any of the stores. No need to bother the people working or the shoppers while we were having fun. We divided into three teams. Everyone had the same clues, just in a different order. After receiving detailed instructions, the teams opened their 20 clues and took off through the parking lot.

Since the clues were written by me, I followed the teams with my camera hoping to get some great candid shots. Silly me. These people were VERY competitive. The photos I got were of feet, sidewalks, and backs of our teams running, yes running, to the next answer. It was great to see the team work and enthusiasm. People were sweaty and tired and had no time to talk to me. I did get several shoppers asking me what was up with all the blue shirts running around. They laughed when I explained and wished us luck.

Waiting at the final answer for the winning team was intense. Team Eric, Rachel and Holly came in first with Team Matt T., Tyler and Sheri coming in a close second. Team Shanny, Matt D. and Tricia came in a distant third. After comparing the clues to the photo answers, it was discovered that the first team to finish did not stay together the whole time as instructed. They were disqualified. Team Matt T., Tyler and Sheri won the hunt. They were very excited.

We stopped off for some frozen yogurt and smoothies on our way back to office where we dined on pizza for lunch. We played two heated rounds of Taboo and then came part two of the day.

We all participated in a CPR class and became certified. It was very interesting and rewarding. Now, if the situation ever presented itself, we could save someone's life. It took two hours and the possible return is priceless. There are pictures on our FaceBook page if you are interested.

It was a good day. Until next year...

Every year our company takes a day off. A day to play. A day to learn. A day to bond. Do we generate revenue on that day? No, but what we generate translates into something more tangible.

We take a step back and work on our relationship as a team. When you know and trust the people you work with, it makes work flow smoother. You can jump in and help out the team because you know how they work. You know the quality product they expect and you do not want to let them down. Everyone is aware that we do what is best for the client and give them excellent service.

We have done all sorts of activities over the years. Professional development sessions, community service and involvement, team building challenge courses, swimming, boating, playing word and board games are just a few. The one common theme is quality time together as a company. Sometimes there are surprises or cash rewards; always there is food, laughter and a full heart.

What will we do this year? Only I know for sure, and that is how it always is until our play day begins.

Getting called into the boss's office can be terrifying. You never know if it is good news or bad news. You close the door, sit down and start to wonder what you did or did not do. When you hear the words, "great job on the project you managed," you finally breathe.

Employee recognition does not need to be difficult or time consuming. We have a snap cup. Every week at our company meeting we read the snaps for the week. Anyone can write down something a coworker did that they feel should be recognized and it is read out loud. It takes two minutes at most to write something down. It could be a thank you for your help or way to step in and help on a project. What you write could make someone's day.

If you are looking for ideas on employee recognition, check out this article Employee Recognition, Rewards, Awards, and Thank You Ideas.

 Today's office environment breeds gossip. The economy. Job security. How to afford the holiday season. These issues are on almost everyone's mind. They are good issues for discussion.

When the discussion turns to gossip, it can be a morale breaker. Don't get me wrong, hearing coworkers' take on Glee last night or the dance moves on Dancing with the Stars is great fun. It brings us together. However, when your evening viewing choices turn into how can this coworker afford that new outfit, the problems begin.

When I read "Workplace Gossip? Keep It to Yourself,"  I saw how far the pendulum can swing on gossip. It brings an interesting perspective on how to keep the workplace gossip free. Since there are two sides to most stories, I looked for a different take on office gossip. "Gossip In The Workplace: A Weapon Or Gift"  gives us another angle on this issue.

When in doubt, go back to my mother's favorite saying while we were growing up, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

You are probably thinking, another posting about the flu, really? Why is there a post about the flu on a communications blog? I will tell you why.

As communicators, we counsel our clients on how to deal with many issues. With social media playing a larger role in how we receive our information, we need to develop message platforms that cover all areas of communication. The Public Relations Society of America published the following article to use as a resource: Pandemic Flu Communications: How to Prepare for a Crisis in a Web 2.0 World. We need to be prepared.

From an operations viewpoint, does your business have a policy regarding staying home when you are sick? Most do, but employees go to work when they are ill anyway. They use excuses like they have a project that has to get done, or I am out of sick days, or I have to save my sick days for when my kids are ill and I have to stay home with them. Maybe an employee comes in for a little while to finish something up. They are doing nobody a favor by coming to the office. It only takes one to start an office pandemic. We have lived through one here and it was not something we care to repeat.

The CDC has easy to follow guidelines and many helpful tips. Be smart. Stay home and don't come back until you have been fever free for 24 hours without help from medicines. Your co-workers will be happier to help with your workload than share in your misery.

The Golden Rule – has it been forgotten?

As the year winds down, the economy is not as strong as we would like.  You may find yourself with some extra time at work.  Don't just try to look busy, be busy.