Speaking of my favorite subject, cake, reminded me of something done at
the last place I worked. Two sheet cakes were purchased each month and
placed in the staff lounge. Next to the cake was a list of people whose
birthday fell in that particular month. It was a very popular idea.
Paul A. Oelkrug, C. A.
Senior Curator of Special Collections
McDermott Library
The University of Texas at Dallas
Phone: (972) 883-2553
Fax: (972) 883-4590
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
The opinions expressed in this email are mine and not of my employer's
________________________________
From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Laura Ruttum
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 12:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Improving staff morale
I'm still tallying up responses, but wanted to add on to Harry's point.
An institution at which I formerly worked also recognized the
anniversaries of the staff-- 3 years of service, 10 years, etc. That was
a nice gesture.
Laura Ruttum
Manuscripts Specialist,
Manuscripts and Archives Division
New York Public Library
[log in to unmask]
Maarja Krusten <[log in to unmask]>
Sent by: Archives & Archivists <[log in to unmask]>
07/12/2006 12:24 PM
Please respond to
Maarja Krusten <[log in to unmask]>
To
[log in to unmask]
cc
Subject
Re: Improving staff morale
Excellent point, Harry! And nice, succinct, and practical, in contrast
to the serial rambling notes with comments on management theory that I
sent to the list this past weekend!
As a matter of fact, the formal or informal recognition of agency
anniversaries provide excellent opportunities for historians and
archivists. This actually has been noted in at least one publication
that I've seen: "a historical office can boost an agency's morale by
giving its personnel some identification with its traditions and place
in American history."
(Source: The Society for History in the Federal Government, Federal
History Programs: A Guide for Heads of Government Agencies (1987),
1-2.)
Your cake idea is a very nice use of this!
Best regards,
Maarja
>>> Harry Heiss <[log in to unmask]> 7/12/2006 11:28 AM >>>
Laura,
This might not be appropriate for your organization, but something that
I
do here at the Bureau of the Public Debt is to recognize our
anniversary.
It's not something that I originated, but rather something I appreciated
and borrowed from a former supervisor at the National Park Service in
St.
Louis [thanks, Kathryn]. Each year on our "birthday," I buy a sheet
cake
at Costco--for the record, out of my own pocket, less than $20--put it
in
the employee break room, and send an email to all the staff to help
themselves. It's low-key, and I try to make it fun. Last year I had
the
cake decorated "Celebrating 65 years of Debted Bliss," an oblique
reference to the ballooning federal debt that our bureau manages. Good
luck!
Harry
Harry G. Heiss, Archivist
Bureau of the Public Debt
Department of the Treasury
799 Ninth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20239
[log in to unmask]
202.504.3516 [voice]
202.504.3630 [fax]
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