My Stupid Company TShirt by Diane M. Campbell/Owner Gratitude Goodies

I started my business right at the beginning of the down turn in the economy.  Was I crazy?  I was challenged and with my personality that was enough to march me down to the county office to register Gratitude Goodies as a viable client retention, appreciation and celebration company producing gift baskets and gifts that provide meaningful ways to say thank you for businesses.

I felt safe to learn at my own pace and grow slowly.  My business started in the basement of my home and, over the years, took on a life of it’s own.  At first I worked part-time in a similar business to learn the ropes and to fund my networking, product purchases and research.  It wasn’t long before Marian joined me to keep my unorganized books and business life in perfect order.

As we worked to gain a footing in the retail gift industry, our husbands, both in the IT field, started feeling internal pressure in their corporate worlds.  They experienced right sizing, down sizing, outsourcing, more hours and more work for the same pay.  You see, there once was a time when we complained about getting a stupid t-shirt for recognition of our hard work but now, in today’s market and poor economy, if we only received a stupid t-shirt we’d be happy.

Why is it that companies don’t say thank you in good times or bad? Is it that hard to show appreciation to our employees for their contributions to the company?  What has to happen to incent companies to show that they value us?  Could we get that stupid t-shirt again, or better, the stupid t-shirt and a raise or promotion?

What we sometimes forget is that most managers and supervisors are just like us.  They all have stress, families, and performance demands like we have.  I would guess that the fish stinks from the head down.  By that I mean that our manager's manager doesn't know how to show value and appreciation to their people either.  So how do you create a culture of gratitude?  Like anything else it has to be on your radar each and every day.  Here are some suggestions on how you can bring the "stupid t-shirt" culture back into your company.

1.  Get up each day and try to look for the good things that are happening.  Catch your employees doing things right and tell them.  So often we're focused on the problems and mistakes that we can't even see how valuable their work is to the company.

2.  Set aside some time to gather your staff and celebrate accomplishments.  Use this time to be really specific about how an employee's contribution has helped with a project, task or objective.  Do this in front of his or her peers and watch what happens.

3.  Give them a stupid t-shirt.  You know this can be literally or figuratively.  A real t-shirt or Gratitude Goodies gift helps people feel part of a team.  If you can't afford a t-shirt, do something else but please do something.  You know it's easier to build up your existing employee's than to hire and train new ones.

Gratitude Goodies began with it's sole purpose being to help businesses show they value and appreciate others by providing meaningful ways to say thank you.  We've seen over and over how this helps our clients grow in business and reputation.  Try to give that "stupid t-shirt" and make someone feel appreciated.