So you probably work closely with co-workers and/or clients. They’ve come to expect the usual things. We all do. So now is the time to surprise them with a treat.
Last year I had a co-worker who baked a whole mess load of cupcakes. She didn’t just make the vanilla kind. She made chocolate, lemon poppy, and vanilla cupcakes. Everyone was asking each other if they tried those sweet little cakes of love.
Okay, they didn’t ask each other that, but they did ask each other if they tried a delicious cupcake.
It made everyone talk about Amy in a fond way.
Every time someone thanked her you could see this warm glow come over her. I think the cupcakes made her happier than the people who ate them.
My favorite was the lemon poppy. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be good or not. I almost went for the old standby of chocolate with white icing, but I took a chance and won.
It’s been almost a year and I’m still enjoying that treat.
So the question is:
What can you do to treat your co-workers/clients to something special?
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The co-founder of Fast Company, William C. Taylor, wrote a thought provoking piece about the size of business and what role it plays in growth. It's called Sizing Up Jack Welch: Is "Too Big to Fail" Really Too Big to Succeed?
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Image courtesy of Rakka
Hi Karl: When I worked in an office I would always take a cake in for my birthday. My aunt owns a famous restaurant here in Panama and her cakes are spectacular. People always looked forward to my birthday so they could eat some of my aunt's cake. 🙂
What a nice story! And who doesn't love cupcakes? When I first started a job in advertising, I surprised everyone one morning with donuts. When when I started to shy away from food-based rewards, I just made it a point to send emails of commendation to people's supervisors if they'd done a tremendous job at something. I really like the idea of recognizing excellence in action.
It's funny how we get crazy about food at work. I think cupcakes are great because it's "just enough." It's all the rage these days.
Anytime I would get a food gift at home I would bring it to work to share because it was way to much for just two people. I come from a family of bakers and never do it myself. I just received bannana bread in the mail from my sister...yum.
Hey Karl,
I think surprises are a really subtle and powerful thing. When people don't see something positive coming, even if it's something very small, the impact is still big.
Eduard
Can I borrow your co-worker? ... the cupcakes sound great 🙂
The lemon poppy sounds oh, so good.
My first day at work I brought in some home made chocolate brownies because I knew I'd be rally nervous. The brownies gave me something to offer when I was tongue tied and everyone instantly appreciated me.
Now, every Sunday evening I bake a cake or slice or batch of biscuits and take them in for the Monday morning meeting. It makes Monday one of my favourite days of the week because I get to treat my coworkers to something I made myself.
Today I asked everyone to bring in something special for lunch and we all sat around the meeting table sharing our own home cooked dishes. It created a real sense of community and we're going to try and do it once a week.
I LOVE baking cupcakes and seeing the expression on people's faces when I tell them they're vegan! They can't tell the difference and can practically taste the love that goes into making them. 🙂