Monday Tip: Give you co-workers a morning surprise

We recently did two full-day workshops for the Copenhagen division of Danish electronics wholesaler Solar, and they have really embraced workplace happiness. Last Monday, the two managers Carsten and Karsten decided to surprise their people with a friendly greeting. They stood in the reception area that Monday morning and gave each of their employees a friendly, high-energy good morning and a breakfast plate.

Watch this:

Several of their employees wrote us later to tell us how much they appreciated this simple gesture and the spirit it was performed in. Kudos to Carsten and Karsten for taking a good idea and running with it.

How could you greet your co-workers on a regular, gray, boring Monday morning to get their work week off to a happy start?

The Chief Happiness Officer’s Monday tips are simple, easy, fun things you can do to make yourself and others happy at work and get the work-week off to a great start. Something everyone can do in five minutes, tops. When you try it, write a comment here to tell me how it went.

Previous Monday tips.

Comments

8 responses to “Monday Tip: Give you co-workers a morning surprise”

October 19, 2010

Primoz Frelih, PMP

Really nice work to have (or make) CEO leading by example!
October 19, 2010

Martin Proulx

Interesting and entertaining but I wonder about the long term positive effects of such a tactic. Truly motivating employees is a long term endeavour.

Granted, small gestures are a nice easy way to start but I wonder how impactfull this will be in the long run?
October 20, 2010

Leah

Hi Alexander,

That was awesome tips.
Anyway, just want to ask if you allow guest to posts their blog articls on this site?
Thanks
October 20, 2010

John

I think this is a great idea. We’ve had tremendous success the last couple of years just by changing the culture and making it more about happiness. Happy employees treat customers better. We’re a small business, and there’s always laughter and very little stress. It’s a lot to do with personalities, but also the context in which we operate. Great post!
October 21, 2010

GuyGriff

I laughed out loud right at the end when the guy looks at the camera!
Great idea, and well presented.
October 29, 2010

Adam Salameh

Hi Guys

I am the guy, that are looking at the camera.
Actually, i have always dreamt, about a cocktail company, that makes some funny, or different stuff, to keep their employees, on top (no stress).
And i actually have to admit, that this couse with positive sharing, have had a tremendous, positive effect, on my personality.
I am much more positive in the daily work, and more positive than ever for the last couple of years.
The last thing i want to share with you guys is that this PositiveSharing project, definitely changed my days, and how people react, on positive energy.

Have a nice day, every body :-)
November 3, 2010

Val

One of the biggest complaints in the organization I work for is that the CEO seemed not to care about front line workers. We devised a plan for the CEO to surprise the workers with a “breakfast with the CEO” and the associates loved it. They felt appreciated and we are now making it regular practice. Small gestures go a long way.
December 8, 2010

iris n.

This sounds lovely! Being around high-energy individuals are always contagious, and I think this would be a great start to a great week! Laugh, hug, handshake, smile-These are all things that become sort of lost when we are stressed out or on a time limit, trying to complete a project. It doesn’t take too much to give any hug, laugh, smile, but it sure seems to encourage greater productivity and happiness!