Great Grizzly Deeds
The program continues to be valued by Butler employees who submit nominations each month and attend receptions.In February 2002, 178 awards were given to Butler'ers. The Concept Advancing the Concept Refining the Concept
Facilitating and Implementing the Program Fine Nuances of the Program Flowers at the reception - It is simple fare with just cookies and punch but when these are served on a table draped in white with a glass punch bowl and fresh flowers, it lends an aire of elegance for those being honored. The El Dorado reception was first held in the Art Gallery and that gives it a special stature with the fine arts. At times the reception has been held under the skylight in the sunny Nixon library or in the cozy firelight of the Student Union Commons area. Display Board - The first couple of months a display board was borrowed from another department. When it became apparent that the employees had fully embraced the GGD program a professional display board was purchased to display the original deeds sometimes written in longhand by the nominators. Theses are given to the awardees at the reception in addition to the official award document. Award Pins - The Task Force decided that a small lapel like pin would be desirable for all employees of both genders. They requested a good quality pin that people would be proud to wear. The Faculty/Staff Development Department designed a small bear paw with the college logo across the paw and contracted with a vendor to have it produced with a brass finish. The pin has been very popular each year. It is even popular with the men in the Facilities Management Department who wear it on their caps. One pin is awarded to an employee per year even though each person can be recognized numerous times. A new pin is designed each year so employees will have a collection of the pins. Marketing - This program was initially highly advertised for its introduction in all the campus communication outlets. A brief explanation of the purpose of the program and the mechanics of how it worked were widely distributed on separate flyers. Various methods of nomination submission were allowed and encouraged - such as email, the specially designed form at the bottom of the explanation flyer, and even the old form for the former program. Now that the college is familiar with the program, a notice is put online each month and an email reminder is sent to employees. Database - Exact records are kept in an Access database. This makes it possible to merge the invitations and awards into Publisher documents and to keep track of who has received their pin for the current year. Invitations - Each awardee is sent a personal invitation to the reception with their name on it. Sites - Butler is a multi-site college and there are significant distances between the sites. The college is committed to inclusion for all employees and all sites so the GGD reception is rotated to one of the outlying sites every other month. A van is made available for El Dorado employees who want to attend. This has proven to be a wonderful way for El Dorado employees to visit the sites and learn more about their operations. Follow-up - If employees are unable to attend the reception to receive their award, the president sends a personal letter to them with their award. This is an additional personal touch that employees truly appreciate. The GGD program has reached out and touched college employees. It is a program that gives each employee the opportunity to recognize and honor a fellow employee who has gone above and beyond the call of duty with an act considered significant. |
