Nice Idea For Staff Meeting

[Guest]

HI

 

i did a staff meeting last week and we asked each member of staff to write a compliment about each of the other staff. this compliment had to relate to them and work, i.e Claire is commitetd to her job, or Jo has a lovely way with the children, this is shown in her doing ...........

 

the staff got the gist, we all had fifteen minutes to write the compliments, (13 compliments to write) and wrote them away from others. we then re-grouped to read our compliments back.... now there was two 'rules' firstly we had to attempt to make eye contact to the person we were giving the compliment to, and secondly we were not to laugh or talk as the compliment was being given.

 

we had some lovely compliments come back, and it was a very emotional time, several staff cried as they received their compliments, it was very heartwarming and great for team building.

 

thought i would share in case anyone wanted to try it.

 

we have now typed up all the compliments and put them in the staff room, and in the individual staff files.

 

the feedback from the staff was really good, and i instantly saw morale rise in the staff.

 

Dawn

[Sue R]

Dawn,

 

This a lovely idea - our Manager has done it with us, and yes, you really can see morale rising!!

 

Do try it!

 

Sue

[Guest Wolfie]

That does sound like a lovely idea! Can I ask, do you already have quite a strong team spirit amongst your staff or is it something you're working towards?

[hali]

what a lovely idea

[Guest]

i did this i a recent unit meeting were morale was very low and some staff memebers wernt getting along it was really nice to see what good things they said about each other and helped for them to put their differences aside and focus on what each other were good at!

[Guest]

We have a split staff team, one half is on the managers side (for want of a better word), and the other half is on the deputies side (aka, the i can't be bothered team!)... sp team spirit wavers at time.

we are constantly trying to work towards having a strong team. at this meeting we made some headway though.

 

 

 

That does sound like a lovely idea! Can I ask, do you already have quite a strong team spirit amongst your staff or is it something you're working towards?

[Guest Wolfie]

Hmm, it's something I think I just might try then!

Edited April 27, 2008 by Wolfie

[hali]

thinking (please dont laugh) ......what happens if a staff member dosnt get a comment though ?

[Guest Wolfie]

Yes, I wondered that too - but reading Dawn's post again, I think everyone has to write about everyone??

[Guest]

yes, that's right, everyone has to write about everyone. even the nursery owner did it (she is in most days so knows the staff) and i did it too, was lovely for me, i got a really nice comment of my deputy, which suprised me but uplifted me too

[hali]

ok thanks

[Guest]

We done it on a night out once ---- not adviseable, the more we had to drink the more ridiculous things we said and although hysterical at the time could be counter productive if a staff member gets dutch-alcohol-courage and says something they may regret.

 

We haven't tried it sober, may be will

[Guest]

Thanks for sharing Dawn, glad the idea worked for your staff morale.

In a team where personalities clash etc, this idea can be done 'confidentialy' ie: all staff write on seperate peices of paper ( with reciprients name on it) something positive about each other member of staff, hand all slips to one person who then reads them out, thus not letting the staff know who said what. This stops some staff thinking, oh she/he just said that tokenistically. It also makes for future good relationships because all have been nice to everyone but each person doesn't know who said what, but they do know that everyone did say something nice/positive. ( hope that's not too confusing )

It is always good to hear 'praise' of our positive attributes, however, some people find it difficult to accept direct praise, even to the point of counteracting it with something negative. ie: when told "you are a very jolly person to be around" low esteem response, "yeh thanks but I'm not serious when I need to be". Just another slant on how some people may react to this exercise. So using the confidential praise method means that a response isn't required.

 

I remember doing this many, many moons ago ( 20 yrs) at a tutor training weekend, the warmth that I felt from the comments made about me have stayed with me ever since ( each time I remember or am reminded about it). All the comments written about me were given to me on the slips of paper and I still have them to look at now and again when my confidence wavers.

 

Peggy

[dublinbay]

I really like this idea.

 

There are 6 members of staff at my setting and while we all get on and work well together, we do not compliment or praise each other enough.

 

I often remember on the way home from work, things I'd seen that morning and meant to praise a colleague for but had forgotten. Saying it the next day isn't the same.

 

I think I will make it a personal goal to give praise where it is due and when it is due. If only my memory wasn't failing so much!!

[Andreamay]

Thanks Dawn think I will use it too!! We have sort of done it when drunk like Shirel and i do write something nice in staffs xmas card. Think it is better anonymous as suggested though for our team anyhow.

[Guest]

Boy am i glad i switched on my computer! What a fab idea, i feel we ... no I know we have a spilt team. 3 have gone one way me and the deputy the other. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle & quite frankly I am running out of steam. We used to be a a very close team and i think due to several personal difficulties in the staffs lives the spilt has happened gradually. As a team on the surface we all work well but I find a lot not talking, comments between each other & a lot of yawning in staff meetings or just clear uninterest. We have a night out planned but their interest was minimal, I always praise them up and now i have been splitting them up so as the staff member whom picks & chooses whom she will speak to has to speak to the deputy. This also give time for me to speak with the other staff.