In our previous blog, Gustaaf shared his story on how he came up with the idea of handing out stickers to improve his own happiness, and that of others. This blogpost provides you with even more in-depth information, written by Assistant Trainer and Designer Cheron, about our great rewarding system and how and why she co-created our very own Power2Improve \u2018Good for You!\u2019 stickers.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Do you remember, in primary school, when you got a 100 percent in your spelling test, you got those bright coloured, and maybe even glittery stickers? They told you: \u2018Well Done!\u2019 or \u2018You\u2019re A Star!\u2019 At Power2Improve, we brought back these \u2018Well Done!\u2019 stickers and <\/span>we discovered <\/span><\/a>that happiness can easily be increased for adults too. These small circles of joy made and still make me ecstatic, however I remember, at times I often did not qualify for these little gifts. My homework about the coral reef and my English writing skills weren\u2019t quite good enough, even though I put so much effort into it. I felt my hard work was still deserving of some kind of reward. Afterall, I still learned a lot! So, I went out with my parents and bought my own. Rewarding myself for good work. Only if I did deserve it, only if I knew I was learning and growing. My teacher was confused at first, but after my explanation, she smiled.<\/span><\/p>\n That flashback made me realize my stickers were of a different kind. They did not just celebrate productivity and results, they gently and warmly invited me to grow. <\/span><\/p>\n Growth is an important aspect not only for children back in primary school, but also for adults. At Power2Improve, when we see a colleague doing something good, <\/span>we compliment<\/span><\/a>. When we see a colleague fail forward, we cheer, support and help. What nicer way to do the latter than by means of special stickers, that recognize the effort, courage and growth shown? Just like the ones I gave myself when I was younger. <\/span><\/p>\n Now the question is, will giving colleagues \u2018recognition\u2019 stickers, similar to the ones I used to give myself work and help them grow? In fact, we see that these \u2018Well Done!\u2019 stickers are effective at stimulating our productivity every day. So can the other kind also be effective in helping us develop ourselves and our happiness? And, important to serious grown ups: would it improve our productivity in the long run?<\/span><\/p>\n To test this out, we at Power2Improve, decided to add this other type of stickers to the \u2018Nerd\u2019 or \u2018Well Done!\u2019 ones. We baptised them: \u2018Good For You!\u2019 stickers. As we found there were no such stickers out there, we co-created them ourselves. My colleagues and I were very excited about this. We were getting the opportunity to come up with creative things we would like to be recognized for. It made us feel very energized! And when they were done, our inner child was happy and we couldn\u2019t wait to go to work to receive them!<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018Good for you!\u2019 stickers \u00a9 Power2Improve 2016<\/p><\/div>\n These inspiring \u2018Good For You!\u2019 stickers are awarded to team members that do something meaningful, for themselves, for others or for the company as a whole. They are mini gifts of gratitude, that show appreciation and support our colleagues, both as a co-worker and as a human being.<\/span><\/p>\n So what wins our teamies these stickers? For example:<\/span><\/p>\n Reading the list may make you think: \u2018Those things are simple and easy. Why reward that at all?\u2019 They may be simple, but they are not necessarily easy. Besides, even if you, or I, think something is easy, it may still be quite hard for others. Wouldn\u2019t you like some encouragement and recognition when you struggle to do something you find challenging?<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019d be surprised how much receiving a small sticker at the right time can influence a colleague and their productivity that day! For example, last week, a colleague of ours was having a hard time finishing a big task. \u2018I don\u2019t usually ask for help, but this time I really needed it. It was a big step for me and it was positively acknowledged by the team. It was a sigh of relief and now I\u2019m more confident to ask for help from colleagues when I need it. In the end I realized that my request for help actually made our whole team more productive. When I get stuck, asking others for support can help me, and the rest of the team, move forward.\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n Another colleague experienced something similar, for a more personal matter: \u2018I was having terrible back pain and it was really affecting how I worked. I really wanted to take the day off to rest, so that I could be more effective tomorrow, instead of even less. I expressed this and my colleagues acknowledged it in a positive manner. They even gave me tips to help relieve the pain. It was great to be supported! Because of that, I feel more comfortable now taking time off when necessary to take care of my body and well-being.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div> <\/p>\n A lot of managers underestimate the power of appreciation and acknowledgement at work. We have seen that way too often. \u2018I\u2019m too busy\u2019, they say, or: \u2018It\u2019s simply what my subordinates have to do to earn their salary, so why should I compliment them for that?\u2019 They probably are unaware that <\/span>research <\/span><\/a>by Margaret Greenberg and Senia Maymin <\/span>s<\/span>h<\/span>o<\/span>w<\/span>s<\/span> providing recognition and appreciation can improve productivity by the impressive number of 30 percent! Stickers are one of the simplest ways to do this, at negligible cost.<\/span><\/p>\nStimulating to grow<\/h2>\n
Introducing \u2018Good For You!\u2019 Stickers<\/h2>\n
![\"happiness,](\"https:\/\/www.power2improve.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Sticker-Set-300x97.png\")
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Sigh of relief<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.power2improve.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/14184386_943500799092337_5482606120886781494_n-300x300.png\" "\\"14184386_943500799092337_5482606120886781494_n\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div>Why we are\u00a0never\u00a0too busy to hand out stickers<\/h2>\n