Can you measure the value of a donut? I live overlooking Voodoo Donut Too®, the second location of the iconic Portland establishment, Voodoo Donuts®. If you have ever visited Portland, you know that visiting Voodoo Donuts® is on the tourist “must do” list. The outside of the building is bright pink, the lines go around the block and you will see giant bright pink boxes of donuts being carried onto planes leaving Portland. No one misses the opportunity to have a Voodoo donut.
What makes these donuts special? The intrigue, the story and the undeniable addiction we have for sweet, sugary treats, usually with a hole in them. Voodoo Donut’s® tag line is “The magic is in the hole.” Around that hole, they offer all kinds of unexpected treats, like maple syrup frosting covered with crispy bacon. This is not technically a donut, since it is oblong, not round and is their signature maple bacon bar.
Have I managed to help you smell breakfast or crave a donut?
A second trademark of the famed donut establishment is the statement that “Good Things Come in Pink Boxes.” People from all walks of life proudly strut these pink boxes into boardrooms and living rooms, even in remote places nowhere near Portland or a city that happens to have a Voodoo location.
Imagine flying to Portland, filling up a giant pink box with donuts that take as long to select as the flight. (Voodoo Donuts® know that the stories about their donuts are integral to the existence of the legend.) Now imagine proudly having brought that same box, miraculously unscathed, to your team at work with a simple thank you as the reason for making the trip and taking the risks to bring these donuts safely to your team. Would the magic be in the hole?
The value of a donut is the feeling of reward and acknowledgment that is generated though simple gestures.
Your leadership role will be more magical if you fill the void with sincere expressions of gratitude as often as breakfast or your craving for a donut. Your task this week is to find creative ways to express your thanks for your team members’ unique contribution.
Contact me at any time for a chat about creative ways to recognize your team members. I may even let you have a whiff of the donut smell that wafts into my office.