Congratulations cards and chocolate

What could be better than getting a congratulations card for a job well done? Getting a card and some chocolate! Adding the sweet treat to a "Good job" card significantly raises the employee's perceived value of the message.

But before you add that chocolate bar to the envelope, consider this tidbit:

Telling the employee too much about the chocolate will devalue the effectiveness of the entire reward!

A recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that people who were given detailed information about the nutritional value and ingredients in a chocolate bar reported a much lower level of satisfaction with the candy than someone who was given only vague or minimal information about the same brand and style of candy.

So what is a manager to do get the maximum impact from giving an employee a motivational card and a chocolate?

• Choose a chocolate bar with minimal information on the package, or at least, minimal information on the front label. Chocolates with banners describing their fat content would probably not spark the same reaction as those offering only the brand name.
  
  
• Or even better, choose a chocolate bar with a novelty wrapper that conveys your message of thanks in a clear way. Many companies offer chocolate bars wrapped in a label reading "Congratulations" or "You make the difference." That way, you'll double the message AND avoid the negative effects of too much information.

Since both congratulations cards and motivational chocolates are inexpensive, it's easy to always have some of each on hand to catch that moment when a sweet reward is right.

Honor employees with anniversary cards

Does anyone at your company know exactly how long the person in the next cubicle has been with the company? Do you remember the date you started? Wouldn't it be nice to have the anniversary of your start with the company noticed each year?

As a society, we celebrate anniversaries of good things. Weddings. Births. First dates. Graduations (that's what class reunions are all about.)

So if we really value the employees at our company, shouldn't we be celebrating the anniversary of their employment?

An employee anniversary card is a great way to acknowledge that special day. It's inexpensive, personal and says "We care that you're here!" What better message could there be in these days of layoffs and cutbacks than to say "Thank you for working with us."

You can order a selection of employee anniversary cards imprinted with the company name and logo for a professional touch. But before you send it, be sure to add a personal note and a real signature. Even a simple line like

"Glad to have you in accounting!" or "Thanks for all your hard work on the catalogs!"

can turn an impersonal card into something special.

Christmas is over, but the value of cards continues

It's January and you thought the time for business greeting cards was over for another year. You are free from the need to order anything until next fall, right? Well, you could look at it that way.

But that would mean you'd be missing one of the least expensive and significantly powerful motivational tools you have for recognizing and honoring your employees!

A simple birthday greeting or business anniversary card sent to an employee can help to reinforce those bonds of loyalty and instill a sense of belonging. A congratulations card for a job well done, or a way to go for a project completed says more than the words on the card...it says that their work has been noticed and is being acknowledged as important to their manager, supervisor or even the whole company.

A get well card or a sympathy card tells an employee that they are recognized as a person, instead of just a worker who counts only when they're being productive and useful.

For the next little while, this blog will address the value of business greeting cards; how, when and where to send them; and the impact a simple card can have on an employee's motivation and attitude.