Sheldon Yellen Sends Greeting Cards to ALL his Employees
Bess Corriveau
Showing gratitude, whether with a birthday card or simple words of affirmation, can radically change your business for the better.
An Alabama CEO has been inspiring a compassionate work environment for over three decades by writing his employees birthday cards - all 9,200 of them.
It's not uncommon to see Sheldon Yellen of BELFOR Holdings, Inc., a disaster recovery company, walking through an airport carrying a stationary with him on each trip he takes.
While others may spend that time watching an in-flight movie or reading a novel, Yellen can spend that valuable time drafting handwritten letters for his employees.
Yellen has been penning personalized cards to his growing number of workers every year since 1985 when he was chief executive.
How it Began
The thoughtful gesture began after he was hired because many employees felt Yellen was being handed the job due to nepotism.
'When I was hired by my brothers-in-laws, their employees perceived me as a guy who just got a job because it was a family-owned company,' Yellen told Thrive Global.
'This could not be further from the truth — but I needed to prove it.'
Through hard work - and an added boost from the annual cards - Yellen was able to flourish into a company leader with the respect of his colleagues.
'It got people talking, we started to communicate more, and I like to think it helped me earn respect within the company,' he told Business Insider.
But it's not just birthday cards. Yellen has graduated to writing anniversary cards, thank-you notes, holiday cards and get well cards to employees children when they're sick.
Yellen found this small act of kindness has cultivated an empathetic and understanding office culture.
He said: 'When I learn of random acts of kindness being performed in the field, I take it upon myself to again, reach out in writing, and send a thank you card so that person can know they are appreciated and that their efforts don't go unnoticed.'
'It's also something that doesn't have to cost a thing.'
Yellen knows his approach to leadership is at odds with many high powered CEO's, but it's one he stands firm in.
He told Thrive Global: 'Without team comradery it would be nearly impossible for a company to grow and be successful if team members aren’t happy and engaged.'
'My philosophy is simple — if you take care of your people, your team will in turn take care of your customers!'
His is philosophy is backed up by surveys and career experts.
'When leaders forget about the human element, they're holding back their companies and limiting the success of others.'
'Focusing only on profit and forgetting that a company's most important asset is its people will ultimately stifle a company's growth.'
Making the idea your own
Yellen has found a relatively easy and inexpensive way to show employees he cares. But there are plenty of ways to vary his theme, depending on your time and resources. For instance, you could
- Post recognition shout-outs on your company's Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn page.
- Leave tasty treats on employees' desks with notes of appreciation.
- Dedicate meeting time to announcing employee accomplishments. Ideally, let the employees tell their co-workers what they achieved. The accomplishments don't even have to always be job related. If someone just closed on a house or met their weight-loss goal, for example, it's still positive stuff you can give praise for.
- Have lunch with an employee each week.
- Send a quick chat message or email of thanks when you see an employee working hard or representing company values.
The big takeaway here, as Yellen asserts, is that businesses are made of people. If you prioritize profits over the human element, you'll likely stunt your company. But if you understand that it's your workers that make the business hum, if you communicate you know their worth and show gratitude even in simple ways, your only limit is what your team can dream together.