59222331 cms by Corny Poems Inc.

Apply now for this Great Malawi Opportunity for Students in Malawi

Scholarships

Home (/) › Strategy (/Warroom) › Management (/Warroom/management) » A CEO Who Writes 7,400 Employee Birthday Cards A Year Explains The Value Of Gratitude

A CEO who writes 7,400 emplo yee birthday cards a year explains the value of gratitude CHRIS WELLER (/AUTHOR_ARTICLES_ALL.CMS?QUERY=%22CHRIS WELLER%22&AUTHOR=CHRIS WELLER) 0 JUN 19, 2017, 09.17 PM Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Belfor Holdings, Inc.

If you happen to sit next to Sheldon Yellen on your next flight, chances are he'll be writing birthday cards. Lots and lots of them. Yellen is the CEO of Belfor Holdings, Inc., a billion-dollar disaster relief and property restoration company. And since 1985, A CEO long before Yellen was chief executive, he has written

who

Investor Power Call (/topic/investor-power-call)

Exclusive: Abhijeet Kumar, Co-founder, ah! Ventures believes in working with only seasoned professionals (/Exclusive-Abhijeet-Kumar-Co-founder-ah-Venturesbelieves-in-working-with-only-seasoned-professionals /articleshow/59576187.cms)

(/Exclusive-Abhijeet-KumarCo-founder-ah-Ventures-believesin-working-with-only-seasonedprofessionals/articleshow /59576187.cms)

Exclusive: Abhijeet Kumar, Co-founder, ah! Ventures believes that exits for start-up investors is paramount (/Exclusive-Abhijeet-Kumar-Co-founder-ah-Venturesbelieves-that-exits-for-start-up-investors-is-paramount /articleshow/59566093.cms)

(/Exclusive-Abhijeet-KumarCo-founder-ah-Ventures-believesthat-exits-for-start-up-investorsis-paramount/articleshow /59566093.cms)

Exclusive: Manish Singhal, Founding Partner, pi Ventures believes that AI will be at the core of all consumer-tech in the future (/Exclusive-Manish-Singhal-Founding-Partnerpi-Ventures-believes-that-AI-will-be-at-the-core-ofall-consumer-tech-in-the-future/articleshow /59460596.cms)

(/Exclusive-Manish-SinghalFounding-Partner-pi-Venturesbelieves-that-AI-will-be-at-thecore-of-all-consumer-tech-inthe-future/articleshow /59460596.cms)

A CEO who

Exclusive: Manish Singhal, Founding Partner, pi Venturesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; love for building products transitioned into his investment in start-ups (/Exclusive-Manish-Singhal-FoundingPartner-pi-Ventures-love-for-building-productstransitioned-into-his-investment-in-start-ups/articleshow /59444878.cms)

(/Exclusive-Manish-SinghalFounding-Partner-pi-Ventureslove-for-building-productstransitioned-into-his-investmentin-start-ups/articleshow /59444878.cms)

Gallery (/slideshows)

5 things you need to do to get a job at eBay (http://www.businessinsider.in/careers/5-thingsyou-need-to-do-to-get-a-job-at-ebay/slidelist /59861052.cms)

(http://www.businessinsider.in /careers/5-things-you-need-to-doto-get-a-job-at-ebay/slidelist /59861052.cms)

This is how Tataâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SUV Nexon looks like from the inside (http://www.businessinsider.in/transportation/thisis-how-tatas-suv-nexon-looks-like-from-the-inside /slidelist/59771926.cms)

(http://www.businessinsider.in /transportation/this-is-how-tatassuv-nexon-looks-like-fromthe-inside/slidelist/59771926.cms)

15 crucial points Mukesh Ambani made during launching JioPhone (http://www.businessinsider.in/life/15-crucialpoints-mukesh-ambani-made-during-launching-jiophone /slidelist/59696810.cms)

(http://www.businessinsider.in /life/15-crucial-points-mukeshambani-made-during-launchingjiophone/slidelist/59696810.cms)

10 things you need to know about new President-elect Ram Nath Kovind (http://www.businessinsider.in/warroom /10-things-you-need-to-know-about-new-presidentelect-ram-nath-kovind/slidelist/59681786.cms)

(http://www.businessinsider.in /warroom/10-things-you-needA CEO to-know-about-new-president-electram-nath-kovind/slidelist who /59681786.cms)

Recommended Read This is what Indian Railways is planning to do for business travellers (/This-is-what-Indian-Railways-is-planningto-do-for-business-travellers/articleshow/59020926.cms)

(/This-is-what-Indian-Railwaysis-planning-to-do-for-businesstravellers/articleshow /59020926.cms)

WhatsApp to give users 5-minute window to recall messages sent by mistake (/WhatsApp-to-give-users5-minute-window-to-recall-messages-sent-by-mistake /articleshow/59033550.cms)

(/WhatsApp-to-give-users-5-minutewindow-to-recall-messagessent-by-mistake/articleshow /59033550.cms)

Apple finally made it easy to share WiFi passwords (/Apple-finally-made-it-easy-to-share-WiFi-passwords /articleshow/59041769.cms)

(/Apple-finally-made-it-easy-toshare-WiFi-passwords/articleshow /59041769.cms)

B.Tech degrees wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t suffice in future in IT sector, says this IT veteran (/B-Tech-degrees-wont-suffice-in-futurein-IT-sector-says-this-IT-veteran/articleshow /59038028.cms)

(/B-Tech-degrees-wont-sufficein-future-in-IT-sector-says-thisIT-veteran/articleshow /59038028.cms)

1Buzzing who A CEO

Asian woman who quit Google: 'The culture there is really discouraging' (http://www.businessinsider.in/Asianwoman-who-quit-Google-The-culture-there-is-reallydiscouraging/articleshow/60137142.cms)

(http://www.businessinsider.in /Asian-woman-who-quit-GoogleThe-culture-there-is-reallydiscouraging/articleshow /60137142.cms) (http://www.businessinsider.in /The-US-just-fired-the-first-shot-ina-trade-war-with-China/articleshow /60127181.cms)

The US just fired the first shot in a trade war with China (http://www.businessinsider.in/The-US-just-firedthe-first-shot-in-a-trade-war-with-China/articleshow /60127181.cms) The fastest five-for, and most runs before dismissal

Ad: ESPN Cricinfo

The 11 characters mostly likely to get killed on 'Game of Thrones' this week, ranked by who's the most toast (http://www.businessinsider.in/The-11-charactersmostly-likely-to-get-killed-on-Game-of-Thronesthis-week-ranked-by-whos-the-most-toast/articleshow /60123607.cms) (http://www.businessinsider.in /The-11-characters-mostly-likelyto-get-killed-on-Game-of-Thronesthis-week-ranked-by-whosthe-most-toast/articleshow /60123607.cms)

This 25-year-old made a fortune in bitcoin - now he travels the world partying and plotting the future of money (http://www.businessinsider.in/This-25-year-old-madea-fortune-in-bitcoin-now-he-travels-the-world-partyingand-plotting-the-future-of-money/articleshow /60122959.cms) (http://www.businessinsider.in/This25-year-old-made-a-fortunein-bitcoin-now-he-travels-the-worldpartying-and-plotting-the-futureof-money/articleshow /60122959.cms)

SUBSCRIBE TO LATEST STORIES enter your e-mail address

HuďŹ&#x192;ngton Post Several Dead And Scores Injured In A Major Railway Accident In UP's Muzaffarnagar (http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/08/19/several-dead-and-scores-injured-in-a-majorA CEO railway-accident-in-ups-muzaffarnagar_a_23153175/?utm_source=businessinsider.in& utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RHSwidget) who

Caught On Camera: Man In Indore Gym Hits Woman For Complaining Against Him (http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/08/19/caught-on-camera-man-in-indore-gym-hitswoman-for-complaining-against-him_a_23152312/?utm_source=businessinsider.in& utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RHSwidget) Ministry Asked Me Not To Clear 'Udta Punjab', Smriti Irani Sacked Me For Not Following Orders: Pahlaj Nihalani (http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/08/19/ministry-asked-me-not-to-clearudta-punjab-smriti-irani-sacked-me-for-not-following-orders-pahlaj-nihalani_a_23152281 /?utm_source=businessinsider.in&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RHSwidget)

Learn at Coursera Master Business Fundamentals from Wharton (https://www.coursera.org/specializations /wharton-business-foundations?utm_source=TGP&utm_medium=TIL& utm_campaign=BusinessInsider_Widget) Leadership and Business Skill for Immediate Impact (https://www.coursera.org /specializations/strategic-leadership?utm_source=TGP&utm_medium=TIL& utm_campaign=BusinessInsider_Widget) Take Big Data from University of California San Diego (https://www.coursera.org /specializations/big-data?utm_source=TGP&utm_medium=TIL& utm_campaign=BusinessInsider_Widget) More Âť (https://www.coursera.org/browse?utm_source=TGP&utm_medium=TIL& utm_campaign=BusinessInsider_Widget)

a birthday card to every employee of the company every single year. Today, as CEO, he says he handwrites 7,400 cards annually one for every employee. "There is an inside joke with acquisitions that I ask prior to closing: 'How many more people?'" he told Business Insider meaning, How many more birthday cards do I have to write? A CEO - "since I am constantly calculating that in my mind rather

who

than 'What is the EBITDA [earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization]?'" Yellen started the practice 32 years ago. He says he started doing it after he was hired by his brother-in-law, since many of the current employees felt he was being given special treatment. If nothing else, the birthday cards would encourage people to stop by his desk to say thank you, he thought. "And it worked," he said. "It got people talking, we started to communicate more, and I like to think it helped me earn respect within the company." Fast forward to today, and Yellen is now bringing stacks of birthday cards with him on every plane trip he takes. But the practice isn't just for the thank you. Yellen has found taking the time to write out a card for each and every person has created a culture of compassion through the whole company. "It's also something that doesn't have to cost a thing," he said. "When I learn of random acts of kindness being performed in the field, I take it upon myself to again, reach out in writing, and send a thank you card so that person can know they are appreciated and that their efforts don't go unnoticed." Often, Yellen said he'll try to include in the card a personal touch. He'll refer back to a memory he and the employee shared, or a conversation they had. He can't craft the most heartfelt message for everyone, he said, but he's been doing it so long, people have come to expect a card regardless of their rapport with Yellen. "It's woven into our company culture," he said. A CEO

time, the gesture has made for a more compassionate, 1Over who

gracious workplace, Yellen said. People feel appreciated and reciprocate those good feelings outward. Some managers have even taken up the habit themselves to write cards for their team members, clients, and loved ones. Other CEOs may consider the gesture frivolous or a waste of time, but Yellen is quick to disagree. He said his experience has taught him that the value keeps coming back in spades. "When leaders forget about the human element, they're holding back their companies and limiting the success of others," he said. "Focusing only on profit and forgetting that a company's most important asset is its people will ultimately stifle a company's growth."

Add Comment(0)

Comments (0)

Add your comment here

Characters Remaining: 3000

Location

POST X Be the first one to comment. We have sent you a verification email. This comment will be published once verification is done.

FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER ON

LIKE FOLLOW