Adapting Our Rituals
HoneyAppreciation
In 2016 we started a tradition that has become very close to my heart: our quarterly employee awards that we call the HoneyAwards. Each quarter, we reflect back on the previous quarter and recognize each other for outstanding contributions. There are so many good things happening in the company and we like to create this space to acknowledge them. We have two award categories: the Impact Award and the Core Value Award. Our Leadership Team nominates people for the Impact Award, and Core Value nominations are open to everyone in the company.
In light of our current situation — working around the clock to support our small business community and customers — it didn’t feel right to only recognize a few individuals when the entire company has stepped up. Everyone in the company is creating a lot of impact right now and living our core values to the fullest.
We were torn. It didn’t feel very HoneyBook to cancel the awards, and it also didn’t feel good to continue with them. So, we pivoted.
Enter HoneyAppreciation…
One of the best parts of the HoneyAwards is that every Core Value nomination is shared with the individual who is nominated. After the awards, we email the person nominated and also copy their manager. It’s nice to have this space to recognize and appreciate everyone, not only the winners.
We realize that showing appreciation for each other, especially right now, is so important, and we found a way to facilitate that. We created a simple Google Form with three questions and what happened after that was pure magic. The responses started pouring in. People wrote the most thoughtful notes of encouragement to each other and gave feedback to the People Team how much they appreciated the space to do so. When we shared each person’s HoneyAppreciation with them, their responses were moving. It was a win-win all around.
I’m sure there will be other rituals we’ll have to adapt as we continue to shelter in place and we’ll go with what feels best to us at that moment. If you’re a fellow People Ops person, how are you shifting your company’s rituals? I’d love to hear!
