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Appreciation Inspiration

Updated: Aug 11, 2021


We all know how important retaining our employees is to the productivity and success of our business. Creating a collaborative, engaging, and supportive environment where team members are valued, appreciated, and given opportunities for growth and development builds a culture where employees thrive. Saying, “you are appreciated,” in creative ways goes a long way in showing your team members that you value them, their work, and the contribution they make to the success of the business. And, going that extra mile to plan unique and fun surprises helps build camaraderie amongst your employees by providing opportunities for them to get to know their team members outside of work.


If you are looking for some fun ways to wow your team, check out some ideas from Reverie.


Plan Events Around National Days:


One way to create fun events for employees is to plan them around “National Days.” On almost any given day throughout the year, there is a "National Day" to celebrate. Our recommendation is to build a fun, employee event centered around the theme of a National Day. To check out a list of all the nationally recognized days, check out this National Calendar. To get your creative juices flowing, Reverie offers the following ideas for a few of the National Days in September:


College Color Days, September 4, 2021: Celebrate this fun day on Friday, September 3 as a kick-off to Labor Day Weekend. Encourage team members to wear shirts sporting their favorite college team. Have each team member provide one unique and interesting fact about their favorite college team. Compile all the interesting facts and share them on that day. You could even “tailgate” in your parking lot for lunch. The tailgate could either be potluck, or if your budget allows, the company could provide the lunch. Bring a couple of bags/corn hole sets and you’ve got an official tailgate happening!


National Cream Filled Donut Day, September 14, 2021: Order donuts and have them at the office for team members to enjoy throughout the day!


National Ice Cream Cone Day, September 22, 2021: Hire an ice cream truck to come to your office during lunch and treat your employees to an ice cream treat. Or, you can host a sundae bar or purchase ice cream bars or sandwiches for your employees to enjoy in the office on that day. As an added treat, you could purchase gift cards to a local ice cream shop or nearby Dairy Queen and raffle them off during the day.


National Family Day, September 26, 2021: Use this day to create an opportunity for team members to get to know one other. Have each team member provide a picture of their family and write a little something about them. You could create a digital photo album/slideshow of all the pictures and share it with your entire team. Or, if you have an internal Facebook page or another platform where you post company announcements, you could post the photos there. If you are a larger company, take a week or two to post a few pictures each day. This gives everyone a chance to enjoy the pictures of their team members’ families!


National Coffee Day & National Starbucks Day, September 29, 2021: Treat your employees to a fun Starbucks drink or give each team member a gift card to treat themselves.




Give Small Gifts of Gratitude That Are Tied Into A Season, Month, Or Holiday:


In addition to planning events, another way to show your appreciation to your employees is by leaving fun surprises on their desks or in their mailboxes. To make a great impression, the surprises you provide can tie into the season, month, or a holiday. For something like this, it is the thought that counts; the gifts you surprise your employees with do not need to be expensive or elaborate.


Here are a few suggestions for each season of the year:


Fall is upon us! Why not leave a gourd or small pumpkin on their desk with a note of appreciation?


Who doesn’t love hot cocoa or a cup of tea in the winter? Leave a tea bag or packet of cocoa on everyone’s desk with a note such as, “Here’s a little something to relax with after all of the hard work you’ve put in.”


Ahh, Spring has sprung! Give each team member a packet of seeds and a small pot with a note such as, “Thank you for helping our business grow! We value your dedication and hard work!”


Celebrate Summer! Leave a jar of a local brand of bbq sauce, fresh cherry jam, or a koozie and share a fun playlist of summer tunes for your employees to enjoy all summer long.


Happy Planning! And, if you use any of our suggestions above, please let us know at thelab@findreverie.com. We’d love to hear about what you did.




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