Appreciation & Recognition

Human Resources

1500 N. Warner St. #1064
Tacoma, WA 98416-1064

Howarth Hall 016

253.879.3369
253.879.2839
Monday-Friday
8 a.m.-12 p.m. (Noon) and 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
hr@pugetsound.edu

Way to go! Woo hoo! You rock!

Finding ways to celebrate accomplishments, small and large, can sometimes feel intimidating. Please see the list below as a way to help you think about what you can do to support those around you.

From a simple "thank you" for a job well done to celebrating a major milestone, there’s something that will work for all situations and all people.

Please remember: For milestones or celebrations beyond a "thank you", a meaningful celebration is one that is designed with the honoree in mind, so please make sure they are open to the idea of being celebrated.

We are happy to chat with you and brainstorm ideas if that would be helpful. Thank you for all you do to keep your teams inspired, motivated, and appreciated.

Ways to Celebrate
  • Write a personalized, specific, and heartfelt note of gratitude to your colleague(s)
  • Invite those who work closely with the honoree/team to write small notes of gratitude on slips of paper and compile the notes into a "gratitude jar" gift
  • Create a banner with a phrase like "celebrating you" or "thank you" or "you rock" and hang it by their workstation (e.g. "We donut know what we’d do without you" banner and a donut party)
  • Write a LinkedIn recommendation for them
  • Create a customized award certificate using Canva that represents their work, a specific accomplishment, etc. (e.g. "Tru Grit" award for seeing a challenging project across the finish line, "Cheerleader" award to recognize somebody who supports their colleagues, "Keep Calm and Rock On" for someone who has a great attitude while problem solving)
  • Provide a gift bag of the honoree’s favorite treats (consider surveying your entire team so you have this information on-record for events like these and other times when you might want to recognize and celebrate a member of your team)
  • Invite the honoree/team for a coffee break at Diversions or Oppenheimer Cafe and treat them to their favorite drink and/or snack
  • Invite your vice president to join the honoree/team and their supervisor for lunch off campus
  • Bring treats (sweet, savory, whatever snacks you know the honoree enjoys) to a regularly scheduled team meeting and use part of the time to celebrate the honoree/team
  • Make mocktails and toast to the many accomplishments of the honoree/team
  • Invite the honoree/team to visit the Logger Store and pick out a Logger-branded item of choice and charge it to the department
  • Purchase a plant from a local business to give with a note ("Thank you for planting [kindness] or [enthusiasm] or [joy] or [word most appropriate for the honoree]")
  • Purchase a bag of locally roasted coffee beans to give with a note ("Enjoy a cup of gratitude" or "Thanks a latte" or "I want to Espresso how much I appreciate all you do")
  • Visit a farmer’s market and purchase locally made treats
  • Game Night in the Afternoon - Invite your team to bring in their favorite games and enjoy an hour or two playing together
  • Consider activities that your team might enjoy doing - bowling, minigolf, axe throwing, pottery painting, volunteering, etc. - and plan an afternoon away from campus spending time together