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It's a tradition that started back in 1985 when Belfor Holdings CEO Sheldon Yellen had a 19-person staff. The company grew to over 9,200 staff members in 34 countries, and Yellen kept writing his birthday cards for his employees. Currently, his team has expanded to more than 12,000 because of a recent acquisition, and you guess it, Yellen, continues to write birthday cards for his now 12,000 employees.
When asked why do it, why write all these birthday cards when your assistant or someone in the company can quickly produce these cards for you. Yellen Responded
"Maintaining that handwritten note as a practice, as a habit, I think is important because it really differentiates you from these e-mails and texts that go on; it lets people know and understand that they matter, I get to drop a little note in each birthday wish, and they feel remembered and valued".
Yellen indicated that his employees collect the various cards he's has written for them over the years and realizes that his good deed has become contagious because people in the company have now adopted the practice, and this has resulted in the development of a great company culture.
Yellen said he works alongside some of the greatest people on Earth, and a hug, a handwritten note, a thank you is a sign of gratitude. Yellen further indicated that the company offers post-disaster recovery services to businesses worldwide, and they get to serve people who lost their homes, their businesses, and help restore their lives and get their facilities back in order.
"One of the cheapest things you can do in life, to make a difference, is just being nice." "That's what we should all be striving to do every day because random acts of kindness are invaluable to the people we serve every day.
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About Gifford Thomas
I am the founder of Leadership First and the author of The Inspirational Leader, Inspire Your Team To Believe In The Impossible. At Leadership First, we are committed to publishing the very best inspirational leadership quotes and articles to inspire our 125,000+ community of leaders to believe in the impossible, while creating an environment free from toxic, fearful and intimidating leadership. We believe everyone can and should enjoy their work, but it must start with the leadership leading by example. Follow our community of leaders HERE, and let's change the leadership status quo to help inspire and motivate our leaders to make a difference and create an organization their people will love.
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