Explaining the work basket - a fun idea if work is a drag!

Hey All,

So I made reference to the work basket of goodies.  This started as a contribution to everyone's well being at my office.  As you all know, my employment in the period 2010-2013 was especially rough.  I fought and I struggled, but I did make some awesome allies along the way.

One of them, on the north side of our cube farm, always had a full candy dish and a secret stash of amazing chocolate, if you knew where to look and/or asked nicely.  Safe to say we bonded over diva moments that required good chocolate.

A little light went off in my head.....  Sweet stuff to the north, savory to the south!  My cubicle is the furthest south in the building, and honestly, if I'm busy, I can be a bit of a bear to deal with.  Food and/or snacks somehow seem to make those interactions a bit less of a struggle.

I was a bit apprehensive about the cost of maintaining such a thing, but one day the co-worker with the chocolate and I went shopping.  I found a basket for $2 and was able to fill it with goodies for <$10.  I decided right then and there, the basket has a weekly maximum of $10 and would be filled with at least 3 different goodies.

As time has evolved, the basket has a few staples, and a few random things.  Staples include cracker packs, microwaveable popcorn, and granola bars.  This week, I scored on pretzel M&Ms, a personal favorite, and spicy pork rinds (another favorite).  Other random things have been Goldfish crackers, Sun Chips, those weird crackers with cheese and a plastic stick, sweet and spicy snack mix, etc.  Some weeks I can barely jam everything in there, other weeks it looks a bit sparse, but the treats are awesome.  Some weeks, if I've been especially productive in the kitchen, home baked goods make an appearance....I got swarmed the week that I brought in 2 dozen muffins.

Its always a fun little game to see what I can pack in there for $10 and it does great things for the morale of our cube farm and other staffers in the know.

If you do decide to do such a thing, I have 2 recommendations.  Have a set restock day, mine is always Monday or the first workday if I'm off, and have a set budget.  Unfortunately, the candy and chocolate basket has gone away due to the personal expense of keeping it stocked.  I've found that setting these boundaries does 2 things for me:  1) I don't fret when its empty mid-week, and 2) I never resent any potential overuse.

This particular exercise has brought both praise and derision from superiors.  Despite any nay-saying, supporting my team and colleagues feels pretty awesome.

As things in 2014 have turned to a much more enjoyable atmosphere, I'd like to say thanks to the co-workers who have enjoyed this.  Sometimes, that "Hey, this thing is a lifesaver", makes a pretty cruddy day feel not so bad.

3Day