My change partner and I were looking for ways to boost colleagues’ spirits as they were going through an aggressive efficiency initiative.
One idea was to give out free snacks and we chose apples. As we put out our first bowl of Granny Smith apples we got the idea of replacing the product labels with happy face stickers left over from a training session.
A sign was placed over the bowl saying “Please take one and have a great day!” People asked about the apples and why they were there. We said they were “happy apples” and they had the power to give them “a great day.” The word spread and within a week the bowl needed to be refilled a couple of times a day.
Ida and I started buying apples in bulk to keep up with demand. Our apple display became an attraction with some people visiting this part of the building for the first time in their careers.
I learned that small, whimsical gifts can become an ongoing source of motivation. Big things do come in small packages.
