Are you thinking about what company stories to tell so you can boost your employer branding efforts?
Look no further. The perfect stories anchored on your company culture could just be in your meeting room or right on your desk. I’m talking about sticky notes or Post-it Notes, whichever you want to call it.
Sticky notes are more than just sticky notes
In the workplace, sticky notes could symbolize the company’s effort to encourage teamwork, inspire creativity and promote productivity.
Here are various ways sticky notes influence company culture:
#1. Sticky notes with personal messages encourage compliance
Sticky notes are “surprisingly persuasive,” according to psychologist Kevin Hogan.
In several experiments, Professor Randy Garner of Sam Houston State University found out that using sticky notes and adding a personal note that “makes someone feel like you’re asking a favor of them” can increase the likelihood that people would comply with your request.
Sticky notes are “surprisingly persuasive,” says psychologist Kevin Hogan Click To Tweet
#2. Sticky notes promote collaboration
Imagine yourself in a meeting where your boss holds a sheet of paper or uses a whiteboard while asking for everyone’s input. As team members contribute ideas, your boss writes them down.
Although that brainstorming strategy could work, you can maximize collaboration if your boss simply hands each of you a sticky note where you could write your ideas or suggestions, then discuss them as a team afterwards.
#3. Sticky notes encourage contribution
Many times, the goal of brainstorming is to keep the ideas coming regardless of who owns the idea, especially when the team talks about important issues in the workplace.
In this case, sticky notes can be used to ensure anonymity. This, in turn, could further encourage participation and contribution rather than getting recognition for their suggestions.
#4. Sticky notes start an ideation process and encourage quick thinking
When facing blank sheets of paper during a brainstorming session or any thinking process, people are inclined to want to eliminate blank spaces, so they want to engage in the thinking process as a team.
Sticky notes help start an ideation process and encourage quick thinking. Click To Tweet
Before they know it, the whiteboard is already filled with sticky notes with fresh ideas from the team.
#5. Sticky notes improve productivity
Sticky notes are an incredibly useful tool whether you’re planning, implementing or assessing tasks that have been completed. It can also be helpful in maintaining focus to help you get things done.
For example, Lifehack Bootcamp co-founder Demir Bentley uses what he calls “Sticky Focus Game” to get things done more quickly while enjoying the tasks at hand.
Wrapping Up
The question is, how can the Human Resources department and the Marketing team (they should be working in tandem for this) leverage the positivity that sticky notes radiate in the workplace?
The simplest way to do this is to include a set of sticky notes with your company logo to your welcome kit for new employees.
The feeling that the words ‘sticky notes’ project is almost always synonymous to having a positive working environment where productivity reigns, collaboration rules and personalization matters.
And for new employees, this positive energy validates their decision to join your company!
So the next time you look for stories that you can tell to boost your employer branding efforts, simply observe how you and your colleagues utilize sticky notes. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll discover!