it's not just paper

Today Seth Godin talked about recognizing people and it made me smile. Where I work, we always put a sign up welcoming any visitor to our office or any new employee. The elevator doors open on our floor and they see this sign immediately. 99% of the time, people comment on it, saying it made them feel welcome and/or special. It can set the tone for a meeting. New employees shed the "new" while their welcome sign still hangs on the wall by their desk. People care about these things, and there's no good excuse not to do them. The signs take almost no time and are very low-tech, but it's amazing what positive energy you can create with a piece of flip chart paper and some Mr. Sketch markers.