The Happiness Advantage
One way that ACR works to keep a positive working environment is by holding a monthly Positives Contest. There is a contest for Supervisors and Office Employees, and another for Direct Care staff. Employees are encouraged to send 2 (or more!) work related positives per day to a designated email, and a percentage is then calculated and the employee is entered into a monthly drawing according to the number of positives they shared.
Direct Care Professional Ruby Skrien has worked at ACR since April 2019, but it wasn’t until December 2020, a quarantine, and an extra long time away from school with virtual learning, that she started participating in the contest she had seen emails about. Ruby, a Public Health major at St.Olaf College, recalls: “I saw the emails a couple times and always thought about doing them, but when quarantine happened and I was home for an extra long break, that’s when I decided I should really do those.”
She made a habit of it, submitting positives every single day from December 2020 through February 2021. Ruby set an alarm on her phone, and as a result, she started each day thinking positively!
“It was a nice, easy and fun thing to do–literally every day! During that time, there was a lot going on with COVID precautions, wearing extra PPE on shift, and fear of my residents getting sick. It was nice to reflect on the positives that were happening–to think about the fun we had before COVID and to look to the future, while appreciating the things that were still positive in the present–like the great staff I work with at Preserve!”
As a result of her daily positives, Ruby was our contest winner for 3 consecutive months December 2020, January 2021, and February 2021, earning a $50 bonus each month.
The positives contest was started in 2015. Though owners Jim and Dorothy Nelson had also encouraged the sharing of positives as a way to start meetings at ACR, it was after Jim read The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Anchor that he had the idea to promote it as a contest to further encourage the power of positive thinking. That is a book that is now frequently provided to ACR Homes supervisors, interns, and interested employees and is highly recommended!
[Read more about The Happiness Advantage and the power of positivity]
Want to start adding positivity to your daily routine? ACR Employees can learn more on our Current Employees section of our website.