An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Wouldn’t the team be surprised (and extremely excited!) if you were to walk in with a homemade apple pie that was baked using your grandmother’s world-famous recipe? If you want to win favor with people, the fastest way is through their stomachs! Whether you’re making your own special dish from scratch or baking Pillsbury Slice ’n Bake chocolate chip cookies, they’re sure to warm up any team. This Cheer Leadership tip goes straight from the stomach to the heart! We love to know how people are putting these tips into action, so send us photos of your team and the recipe, and you may be included in our next book! Email us at info@janspence.com to share.
Imagine walking into your office building first thing in the morning and smelling fresh baked cookies or straight from the fryer Krispy Kreme donuts. What a way to start the day! Now imagine you’re the one walking into the office with a batch of homemade muffins or a crockpot of chicken noodle soup for the team - the sense of appreciation and regard they will feel is undeniable. To help spread this tip throughout your entire department or team, try organizing a potluck lunch once a month. You could even have a theme for each month (casseroles for the cold winter months or tailgate favorites during football season) or a friendly contest for “best dish.” Another option would be to have a chili cook-off. As an added bonus to all the delicious food everyone will get to taste, various studies have found that eating together increases social bonding, builds trust, and boosts feelings of well-being. Talk about a win-win-win!
FUN FACT: Smell is the most sensitive of the senses. People can remember smells with 65% accuracy after a year, while visual recall is about 50% after three months.
For more details, watch Jan’s weekly video tip here!