What is the happiest thing that happened to you today?

#EnthusiasticElisa

#ONETeam #SNAPS #SageandNotableAdvisesfromPatrickSalazar

It was during a Strategy Session when the big boss asked the Executive Leadership Team for suggestions to bring the employee engagement score to at least 1% higher than last year. He said we already have a very good engagement program set for the year but its similar to last year.. There were multiple very good suggestions. Then later, he looked at me and said, “Patrick, tell me what's on your mind”

I suggested to give a fashionable & cool, high quality T-shirt with a printed single theme design as a gift to all Associates including new hires that entire year and to all support Teams.

The Team laughed a bit and politely asked.. How can a T-shirt bring the employee satisfaction score 1% higher than last year?

I said.. First, the quality and design of the T-shirt must be more cool to wear than whatever you can buy in a fabulous high-end designer shop. It should be the coolest T-shirt in your wardrobe ever. The material must be of high quality so even when they wash it weekly, it still looks brand new even after several months.

With this, Associates will want to wear it often, at least once a week. The design must NOT look like a team building shirt or a conference shirt or a uniform wash day shirt with the company name on it. The color of the shirt can be from any of the 3 colors of our company logo and the messaging must be heartfelt.

We will request all Team Leaders to suggest that their Associates wear this T-shirt during all company events including their monthly Team building activities, town halls, community volunteer activities, etc.

Imagine at least 10% of the Associate population wearing this every single day of the entire year. It is equivalent to a walking advertisement modeled by an Associate to a fellow Associate that this is the workplace of choice. This will help in branding and employee retention. Basically, it makes Associates feel proud and happy.

Some of the Executive Leadership Team still found the T-shirt suggestion corny. However, the big boss trusted me and approved a nice budget for it so we gave fashionable high quality blue shirts to everyone that year.

YUP, the employee engagement score went up that year… by more than 1% point. In fact, the blue shirts were such a big hit, we gave white shirts the following year. (though I like the message in the original blue shirt better)

*About the photo

Five years ago, my work schedule allowed me to fetch my youngest daughter Elisa from her school 2-3 times a week. One day, this was our conversation…

👕 Me: Elisa, what’s the happiest thing that happened to you today?

👕 Elisa: Seeing you outside the (school) gate waiting for me, Papa.