My workplace has two big parties a year: the holiday party in December and our annual birthday party over the summer, “the Pluggies”.
This is based on The Office‘s “The Dundies” in which Michael Scott gives out awards to his employees at a Chili’s. Our first Pluggies, before my time, was actually held at a Chili’s and our president (my boss) started the tradition of giving out outlet covers with “most likely to” awards.
Last night was my fifth Pluggies. I’ll honor that by sharing my past awards:
- 2015: Most likely to change her lunch plans at random at the sight of a grilled cheese food truck.
- 2016: Most likely to know who was disguised as Mad-Eye Moody in the Goblet of Fire.
- 2017: Most likely to fork over a week’s salary to see Hamilton … again.
- 2018: Most likely to have new employees ask ‘what the heck does “Uff da” mean?’
And for 2019:
This year’s Pluggies was held at Red’s Porch, one of my favorite restaurants in Austin, and I felt an outpour of gratitude for the people I work with and the culture we’ve created.
A newer employee came up to me to thank me for creating an environment like this and putting some awesome people in place. I certainly can’t take all the credit for that, but in the last five years . . . it hits me that my work has mattered. Who I am and what I have put into our team, culture, and values has made a difference. As we’ve been navigating a lot of changes and growth, this week has felt more grounding to me than I’ve felt in a while. A re-emphasis on what matters: the people and leading with our values.
The Pluggies was perfect timing. It was great to share this cornerstone of our culture with so many new employees and integrate new and old traditions as the event has grown and evolved. And there were chicken tenders. So. A pretty good deal.
With Love,
Natalie