🍽️ The Paper Plate Awards: Nominate Now
🍽️ The Paper Plate Awards: Nominate Now
Celebrate an Exceptional Person at Work by Nov. 15th
Hello, It’s Julia. Welcome to my weekly newsletter exploring the ways we communicate and connect at work and beyond. I hope you’ll consider participating in this new campaign I’m launching today. Forward to a friend who might like to celebrate an exceptional person at work .
My most treasured award is not a soccer championship trophy or engraved glass paperweight from college. It’s a simple Paper Plate Award that I received when I was a kid for being Most Enthusiastic. While it’s faded over time, the award still shines brightly on my bookshelf today as a reminder of that moment years ago.
I received this award at drama camp during a summer of transition as I struggled to adjust. I remember the feeling of belonging at camp. I could be my authentic and enthusiastic self. My counselors recognized that energy in me and the award reminds me to always be myself. To this day, enthusiasm stands as one of my core values.
I’d like to pass this feeling forward. That’s what I’m excited to launch The Switchboard’s Paper Plate Awards to celebrate the great ways people communicate and connect at work and beyond. Reflect on someone you’ve interacted with:
A person who you’ve worked with, past or present
A friend who you’ve seen go the extra mile for work
A person who you’ve seen in action at their workplace: a Nurse being kind to a patient, a Librarian assisting a patron with research, a Cashier helping a customer
These people should be the best at community building, communicating, creativity, enthusiasm (of course), empathy, inclusivity, kindness, resilience, listening or welcoming. I’m ready to recognize them. Learn more below.
🍽️ The Paper Plate Awards
What: There are 10 awards based on the mission of The Switchboard to explore the ways we communicate and connect at work and beyond. The awards are for individuals who demonstrate exceptional qualities that make a positive impact on people. Here are the categories:
🔗 Best Community Builder
✏️ Best Communicator
🎨 Most Creative
☀️ Most Enthusiastic
❣️ Most Empathetic
🤗 Most Inclusive
💙 Most Kind
🌱 Most Resilient
🎧 Best Listener
👋 Most Welcoming
Who: Nominate someone you work with or have worked with or have observed at work. This person could be a former teammate, a current teammate, a friend who you’ve seen devoted to their work or a person you’ve seen in action at the grocery store, library, or coffee shop. My preference is to keep this nomination a surprise, but I understand if you want to check with the nominee first. Before anyone is recognized publicly, they will be informed privately.
How: Submit a nomination. Tell me why this person should be recognized. Within one week of your nomination, I’ll reply to let you know the status. I value all the nominations. As a one-lady shop, I don’t want to over-promise and under-deliver. I won’t be able to recognize every submission with a Paper Plate Award. If selected, your nominee will be recognized within a few weeks.
Where: In a future edition of The Switchboard and on LinkedIn.
When: The sooner you submit, the faster your nominee might be featured. Submissions close Nov. 15th.
FAQs
Q: Who should I nominate?
A: Nominate someone you work with or have worked with or have observed at work. They should exhibit the quality of the award topic. You must share a specific example. Nomination stories should not be political, religious or conflict related.
Q: What should I write in my nomination?
A: Give an example that reflects the award theme, but be concise. No more than 250 words.
Q: Should I tell my nominee that I’m nominating them?
A: The preference is to keep this nomination a surprise, but I understand if you want to check with the nominee first. Before anyone is recognized publicly, they will be informed privately.
Q: How will the Paper Plate Award be awarded?
A: Digitally. I’ll share the away on LinkedIn and/or The Switchboard, including an edited description of the nominee and gratitude for the nominator.
Q: Why are you doing this?
A: Why not? 🙂 I believe we need to express gratitude to people more often — whether it’s 1:1 or publicly.
Q: When are nominations due?
A: Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. The sooner, the better! Since some people like deadlines, submit by Nov. 15th.
If you have additional questions, message me or reply to your email.
Thanks for tuning into this edition of The Switchboard. Let me know if this article resonated — give it a heart, comment below or share it on LinkedIn. Signing off. — Julia