My friend heard about our Pay it Forward campaign and our focus on Random Acts of Kindness at The Gift Designers this year. Her response was “sign me up” and she took a few of the Pay it Forward boxes in anticipation of being ready to offer the gift as a gesture of encouragement.

I asked her to keep me posted and this is the report I heard back:

                I took one of the Pay it Forward boxes to work with me and tucked it away so that I had something on hand to give. I kept hearing people talk about one of my co-workers and how swamped they were. People regularly mentioned how busy this individual was, not only with their own tasks but also in their efforts to help others out. This person regularly made himself available to lend his skills and insight to other people’s tasks. I called him up and asked if he had a minute to chat. He right away encouraged me to swing by.

When I came into his office he eagerly asked how he could help me. I told him I wasn’t there for help but to say “Thank you”.  I handed over a Pay it Forward gift box and went on to tell him that I was extremely grateful for his willingness to give of his time and be so supportive. There was a pause as he absorbed that I was there to give to him and then some heartfelt gratitude.  He quickly expressed how happy he was to help out his team. Not everyone goes out of their way to be kind but this guy consistently does. It was definitely time that he got some kindness back.

What a simple way to say thank you and I love that my friend wanted to be prepared to be an encourager. This Back to School & Back to Work season are you considering how you can offer up kindness, pay it forward, and ways to strengthen your team? It could be as simple as a card or a coffee, having some Pay it Forward gifts ready to go, or perhaps some staffroom treats to boost the mood! Give it some thought and see if anyone comes to mind that could use some special attention or some gratitude!

Lots of ways to show that you're thinking of someone. Here's one design sure to bring a smile to a co-worker's face. https://thegiftdesigners.com/afternoon-pick-me-up-gift-box