In your organization, just say thank you when somebody deserves praise. Not kudos. Not a shoutout. No recognition. Just thank you.
Kudos and the alternatives are just corporate speak to avoid saying what really should be said. Don’t communicate like a PR firm, saying “I apologize” rather than “I’m sorry” to deflect. These abstractions just tell people you don’t quite mean what you said.
We don’t teach kids to say “kudos” as part of manners in response to a favor.
Engagement is a subtle KPI of the health of your organization’s culture.
As a leader, it is your duty to have the emotional intelligence to be attuned to engagement levels and dig until you get to the root cause. When employees smile sparingly, rarely express enthusiasm or passion, take little initiative, or avoid giving feedback, you can’t explain it away as having hired mild-mannered, boring people. Observe those same people in their personal lives and you’ll see the opposite of all those qualities.
People pay with cash less and less these days, particularly with change. Transactions under twenty dollars can be worth paying in cash, to me. The finality of the transaction is refreshing. Additionally, small local businesses prefer cash because they don't have to absorb the processing fee.
I often just hand over the most efficient bank note and put the change in a container for a future CoinStar trip.
I like to think of the EDC (everyday carry) concept as prepping light. It’s the first small step towards being prepared for different situations.
There are endless forums for seeing people’s kit but this page aims to give some context to the decision making behind the items rather than just a consumerist show off. My kit is in a constant state of flux the page will be updated as changes are made.