Niceness Notes on VAP’s Culture Wall
Two years ago, one of Value Added Packaging’s Team Members was overheard saying to another Team Member “Thank you so much for cleaning the snow off of my windshield. I wish we had a peer recognition system”. That simple statement was enough to spark the interest of another Team Member, and the two of them took the idea to Management and got it approved instantly. This form of recognition became known as “Niceness Notes”, and VAP Team Members have fully embraced the idea.
A Niceness Note is a carbon form that is about half the size of a regular sheet of paper. Anyone can fill one out for another person at any time to recognize when someone has gone out of their way to do something nice. Although typically they are written to and from VAP Team Members, we have had a vendor’s driver fill one out for our forklift driver and a Team Member fill one out to a vendor. When a Niceness Note is written, it is given to the recipient to sign and then one copy goes on the Culture Board in the plant and the other copy is read aloud at our monthly Culture Luncheon and put into a drawing for a $25 gift card of the winner’s choice.
Niceness Notes have been a staple in VAP’s culture (read more about our culture here). It brings the Team closer together and gives them the opportunity to show their peers how valued they are. We also have other recognition systems in place. Our quarterly Culture Champion program allows all Team Members to cast their vote for someone that continuously goes above and beyond to help others and the company. The Leadership team has Toolboxes on their desks that contain Thank You cards and gift cards to nearby restaurants to personally recognize Team Members. However, Niceness Notes continue to be the program that is most participated in by the Team. Whether this is due to the simplicity of the program, the funny voices sometimes used when the notes are read aloud, or the fact that a Team Member suggested it (reiterating the importance of listening to Team Member ideas) remains unclear, but regardless, we’re happy it stuck!
What are some of the recognition programs your company utilizes?