Jane Ryder

Smashwords book reviews by Jane Ryder

  • Inspiring Work Anniversaries on Jan. 11, 2024

    When I first heard about this book my reaction was “Work anniversaries? Really? Does anyone care about those?” But then I read it, and now I can honestly say I’m a complete convert. There are a lot of reasons for that, beginning with the author’s cogent arguments that celebrating work anniversaries *well* (that qualifier is important) is one of the easiest, most affordable, and potentially most meaningful ways an organization can improve its culture and the satisfaction, morale—and yes, productivity and retention, for those focused on the bottom line—of its employees. These arguments are well supported with facts and statistics, but also with common sense and great insight into the realities of working with human beings. And that’s really what convinced me. Rick Joi puts the humanity back into the workplace, reminding us throughout the book that we’re not cogs in the machine, but individuals with lives of our own who are contributing to a shared purpose. Even if that purpose begins as just an exchange of work for money, by making employees feel seen and valued with something as simple as celebrating their workiversary well, the relationship between the organization and the employee can become more meaningful. Joi saliently points out that’s a win-win, as the employee is likely to find more fulfillment and satisfaction in their work, which makes them happier and makes the organization more productive. For those employees and organizations which deal directly with customer service it’s even a win-win-win, since customers are also going to be better served by employees who don’t hate their jobs. I challenge anyone to read Rick Joi’s INSPIRING WORK ANNIVERSARIES and *not* come away wanting to put the book’s recommendations into immediate action. From the smallest non-profit organization to the largest multi-national conglomerate, there’s no business that can’t benefit from simply putting a little more thought and care (but surprisingly little expense) into how they celebrate work anniversaries. And, in a very real way, doing so will make the world a better place for all of us.