Help Your People to See that They Are Valued

Thirty years ago, Jaime and I were married. Like many soon-to-be-wed couples, we registered for linens, dinnerware, and a range of household items that we felt would help us as we started our lives together. One gift that we received wasn’t on our registration. Nonetheless, it became one of our most treasured items.

It was a red dinner plate with the words “You Are Special” written two times around the serving piece’s rim. That gift became one of our family’s most treasured items. It made many appearances over the years.

• Celebrating a birthday? You got the plate.
• Brought home a great report card? You got the plate.
• Won the big game? You got the plate.
• Feeling a bit under the weather? You got the plate.

That unexpected gift proved to be an easy and treasured way of demonstrating how much we valued one another. Does this mean that on days when the plate didn’t make an appearance that we didn’t appreciate each other? Of course not; it simply served as an outward expression of an internal feeling.

Five years ago, we moved to Nashville, Tennessee. The “You Are Special” plate broke during the move.

You might be surprised to learn that, although both of our children were grown at the time, we still replaced the plate.

Why?

The need to be seen, heard, valued, and acknowledged isn’t reserved for children. All of us, to varying degrees, want to know that We Are Special.

We’ve created a tool and a video to help you to get it right.  Click here for both.

Make it a great day!

Patrick