Celebrate and be celebrated! Discover resources to help you champion recognition, celebrate milestones, and contribute to a culture of appreciation.
Moments that matter
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A typical day at work is likely different for everyone at Yale — whether it rolls, rumbles, glides, or grumbles along. What’s likely similar is the reaction we have when a pleasant surprise pops up in an email or lights up a Teams or Zoom chat. When this happens, whether it’s a Yale greeting card (YCard) or a Chat Sticker, you can almost feel the endorphins hugging your brain receptors as your mood lightens and you have a moment of well-being.
Marcia Brooks, senior nurse manager in clinical affairs at Yale Medicine, has had such moments — recognized in “thoughtful” ways by her manager with either a YCard, a kind email, or a handwritten note on her desk. She says these simple gestures make her feel “genuinely appreciated and valued for the work I do each day, and it motivates me to continue putting forth my best effort and strengthen my sense of commitment to the team and our goals.”
Yale Recognition and Engagement, in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications, makes it easy to celebrate the important milestones and daily contributions of everyone in the Yale community. The Staff Recognition homepage on the newly redesigned It’s Your Yale website offers information about the Linda Lorimer Award, Staff Service Recognition Program, Staff Spirit Week, and Recognition Resources.
New chat stickers now available
Find new designs to spread the fun. Chat Stickers can be used on any chat platform that allows you to insert an image, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, your iOS devices (iPhone and iPad), or social media. Download today!
Celebrating moments that matter
You can find Recognition Resources in the new Recognition Portal, a central platform where staff can send and receive YCards, acknowledge milestone anniversaries, and select years-of-service gifts. Simply enter your NetID and password (Single Sign-On feature) and participate in what Yale has to share. The Program Guidelines module gives directions on how to send YCards, redeem an anniversary gift, and congratulate team members on their tenure at Yale.
Staff members with 10 years of service will be able to redeem their service-award gift (and every five years afterward) through the portal’s “Redeem” module, and when it is time to congratulate a team member, a module will pop up and invite you to send a message. YCards can be sent from computers and mobile devices.
Contributing to a culture of appreciation
Chat Stickers are another way to celebrate colleagues by connecting online in a fun and often spontaneous way. Use them on any chat platform that allows you to insert an image. Send them on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, your iOS devices (iPhone and iPad), or social media. Bright and colorful, they zing off the screen when you want to show appreciation (“Crushed it!”), send a birthday wish (“Blow out your candles!”), say thank-you (“Thanks a latte”), or just cheer someone up (“You got this!”). Download one or all the stickers and learn how to use them on the Recognition Resources homepage.
Also helping to make appreciation an integral part of life at Yale is the Celebration Calendar. Once you download it, you will see weekday cultural and popular events, official Yale holidays, and industry observances in one place, motivating you to stay on top of your celebration planning as a staffer or a manager. You may also refer to the Yale University Chaplain’s Office Multi Faith Calendar and the Official Yale Holidays for additional celebrations.
YCelebrations is a way to encourage Yale dedicated staff members to share their new positions, professional milestones, and service anniversaries. These moments can now be highlighted on social media channels through custom graphics and the #LifeAtYale hashtag. There are also Yale-branded designs to show your pride in working at Yale. Find out how to use and download the YCelebrations graphics.
Brooks has not only been celebrated, but she has also celebrated. “I make it a priority to regularly acknowledge and celebrate my staff,” she said. “I often use Ycards and email messages to recognize their birthdays, work anniversaries, or to simply highlight the excellent work they do each day. I believe these acknowledgments go a long way in fostering a sense of belonging, boosting morale, and reinforcing a positive and supportive work environment.”
