Taco Tuesdays
When I reviewed my work plan with Jill, I realized that my long-term career goals are to be in a leadership position where I can create an encouraging work environment for employees. One of my favorite activities in our office that I would definitely want to replicate was called Taco Tuesdays. Each week we picked someone that had either had a major accomplishment or was in dire need of encouragement. We made a construction paper taco and each person in our office took a different taco ingredient (lettuce, beans, cheese, tortilla) and wrote words of positive inspiration. Then the taco was left on the recipient’s desk to be found.
The peer recognition made an incredible impact from the earnest appreciation. Each week we rotated who received the taco until it culminated with Jenna’s piñata taco. Taco Tuesdays were her brainchild and in typical Jenna fashion, she thought that when everyone but her had gotten a taco, we would be done. We filled her taco with confetti, candy and kind remarks and had it hanging it on a tree outside our apartment. I conned her into coming to join us by saying I had locked myself out of our apartment and needed her to let me in. She was totally surprised and at the end of the lunch, hugged me. Getting a hug from Jenna might be my greatest accomplishment to date.