With the holiday season in full swing and the end of the year quickly approaching, your team is in the thick of wrapping up loose ends and planning for next year — along with enjoying some festive get-togethers and hopefully taking some well-deserved time off.
But there’s one more thing that should be on your to-do list during this busy season: gratitude.
Looking for some fun and memorable ways to offer praise, encourage camaraderie, and extend a hearty thank you? These templates can help you wrap up the year with positivity.
1. Host your own awards ceremony
Nothing makes people feel seen and valued quite like an award. This awards ceremony template was created to announce the 2023 Miroverse Choice Award winners during our own virtual event, but it’s easily customizable for your own team.
There are 10 different categories, each of which has three nominees and one winner. You have full creative control to change the award categories, whether you want to recognize people for their work-related contributions and achievements or keep your ceremony more lighthearted with awards like “best GIFs” or “most pet appearances during a Zoom call.”
There’s also space where team members can leave sticky notes to congratulate or compliment the winner or nominees for some added celebration. Regardless of how you set it up, this board provides an easy way for everybody to recognize specific people for the unique skills and talents they bring to the team.
Try it now: Click on the board above to open it. Then click the board name and select “Duplicate” to make an editable copy for yourself!
2. Write personalized thank you cards
Recognition doesn’t have to be complex. In fact, sometimes the simplest efforts — like a personalized thank you card — can be the most heartwarming.
You can skip the snail mail with these kudos templates. While there are frames for a variety of occasions (like birthdays, anniversaries, and goodbyes), use the one specifically for saying a heartfelt “thank you” and delete the ones you don’t need.
Set up a board for each member of your team and share it with everybody else (don’t include the recipient yet!). Team members can take some time to add their own praise and gratitude. Once it’s done, share the board with the intended recipient so they can soak in all of the kind words from their colleagues.
Try it now: Click on the board above to open it. Then click the board name and select “Duplicate” to make an editable copy for yourself!
3. Offer kudos and praise
Sticking with the theme of simplicity, these kudo cards created by Simon Woker are another easy way to recognize people for their good work.
There’s lots of flexibility with this straight-forward template. Use it in whatever way works best for you and your team. Here are some ideas:
- Use the cards to applaud the work of individual members or the team as a whole
- Set up a board for each team member and ask everybody to contribute
- Set up a board for each team member and fill it out yourself
There’s no one “right” way to use the cards — as long as you’re using them to acknowledge and show appreciation for your team.
Try it now: Click on the board above to open it. Then click the board name and select “Duplicate” to make an editable copy for yourself!
4. Practice festive gratitude
This ornament thanks and shoutouts template by Jessie Fox doubles as an outlet for gratitude and a festive team activity.
During your team meeting or holiday party, share the board and ask everybody to choose an ornament they’d like to decorate. When they’ve made their choice, they should copy it to the space with their name.
Take some time to chat together while dressing up your ornaments and write down something you’re thankful for, too. When you’re ready, decorate your virtual tree together while every team member adds their gratitude ornament.
If you want to step up the appreciation even further, there’s space to designate a gift pile for each team member. Everybody can use sticky notes to add their own shoutouts or well wishes for that specific person.
Try it now: Click on the board above to open it. Then click the board name and select “Duplicate” to make an editable copy for yourself!
5. Reflect on the year (and plan for the next one)
Looking back on the past year is one of the best ways for your team to celebrate. With this year in review template created by The Infinite Loops, you and your team can think back on how you felt in the previous seasons (spring, summer, and fall) while also recognizing accomplishments and offering kudos.
There’s space for the team to reflect on lessons and mistakes, too — not to dwell on negative experiences, but to plan for more success moving forward.
The winter column of the board is all about forward thinking, with space to set goals, determine how people can chip in, and let go of any negative thoughts or processes that aren’t serving the team. Put simply, think of this board as the perfect balance between a retrospective and thoughtful recognition.
Try it now: Click on the board above to open it. Then click the board name and select “Duplicate” to make an editable copy for yourself!
Go forward with gratitude
It’s easy to get swept up in the holidays and all of the end-of-year activities. But you don’t want to lose focus on one of the most important aspects of the season: gratitude.
Use some (or all) of these templates with your team so you can celebrate another successful year together — and head into the next one feeling appreciated, respected, and valued.
