Good Jpg to send to co-workers. Send the boss a work related image from your files. Presentation deck image.
Checking in with Your Boss
Frequency:Weekly or Bi-weekly using an email Format.
The Strategy: Instead of asking “What do you need from me?”, send a “Wednesday update via email. Briefly list projects, benchmarks and pain points you are having. This proactively answers some questions and keeps them up to date for their meetings and management duties.
Checking in with Colleagues/Peers
This is about coordinating and completing goals.
Frequency:Daily or every few days
The Format: Project management tools .
The Strategy: Use specific texts like, “Hi! I’m planning to start my portion of the report on Thursday—are we still on track to have the data by Wednesday afternoon?” This gives them a deadline and a reason for your inquiry.
Checking in with Other Departments
This is about milestones. Since you don’t work with them directly, you want to be mindful of their internal deadlines.
Frequency:Once a month or at specific Project Milestones where they may need data for Kudos.
The Format: Email or a designated intranet communication channel.
The Strategy: The “Early Warning” system. Ask for updates before you need the information. If you need something by Friday, give them a week. This accounts for their busy schedules and prevents you from being frantic at the last minute looking for data.
Create an “I’m Away from My Desk” Binder. You can use this Jpg.
What to include:
An “Out of Office Bible” is the greatest gift you can leave your colleagues. If it’s thorough, they won’t feel the need to try and “find” you on the trail, and you won’t spend your first week of hiking wondering if the office is on fire.
Since you’ll be gone for 90 days, this binder needs to be a standalone manual. Here is exactly what to include:
BinderSection 1: The “Big Picture” Calendar
This is a high-level visual of the time you are gone.
Key Deadlines: Highlight anything due in your absence (reports, tax filings, project launches).
Recurring Meetings: List the ones you usually lead and who is covering them.
Your Return Date: Mark your “Soft Return” (catch-up days) and “Hard Return” (ready for meetings).
BinderSection 2: The “Who’s Who” (The Handover Map)
Create a simple table so colleagues know exactly who is the “New Emmy” for specific topics.
Topic A: [Colleague Name] — e.g., “Invoicing and Billing”
Topic B: [Colleague Name] — e.g., “Client X Relationship”
Topic C: [Colleague Name] — e.g., “Social Media Posting”
BinderSection 3: Project Status Sheets
Dedicate one page to each active project. Use a Stoplight Status system:
Green: Running smoothly; just needs monitoring while I’m away
Yellow: Action required by [Date]. I won’t be here to work on this.
Red: Needs immediate attention or has a major bottleneck. Extension applied for just in case.
Next Steps: “The very next thing that needs to happen for this project is…”
No extra digital files available. Check my work file for documents.
Section 4: The “How-To” Vault (SOPs)
Don’t assume people know your “invisible” tasks. Include Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for:
Logins: Where to find group passwords (use a company vault like LastPass if possible).
Software: Any niche tools only you use or available on your work computer.
The “Workarounds”: “If the printer jams this specific way, do this…” or “This client prefers phone calls over emails.”
Section 5: External Contact Directory
A list of vendors, clients, and partners you interact with that will talk to other people.
Name & Company
Email & Phone
Context: “They usually call on Tuesdays for the weekly update.”
Section 6: The “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” Page
Define what an actual emergency is.
Example: “If a client cancels a contract, call my supervisor [Name]. If the building is physically flooding, call [Maintenance]. Do NOT attempt to contact me on vacation except through the police department. [Specific Dire Scenario].”
Pro-Tips for the Binder
Digital & Physical: Keep a physical binder on your desk, but email a PDF version to your team members and boss so they can search for keywords.
The “Table of Contents”: Make it the first page so they don’t have to hunt.
Post-it Notes: If you have physical files on your desk they might need, flag them with Post-its or leave them with an admin on her desk.
Upcoming Calendar Note: Temporary Hiatus for the Summer
I’m writing to share a quick update regarding my schedule. I will be taking a leave of absence for the Summer to work on my goal to finish the AT Trail. During this time, my usual updates will be on hold. I look forward to reconnecting with you all when I return in September. This is a thirty day notice.
During my hike, my work is focused on planning for the September through Thanksgiving Detox which I will blog you through. After Thanksgiving, we start the prep for Christmas and New Years celebrations.
Don’t forget to write your vacation notice for your emails at work and on your personal email.
The goal is towards a productive outcome. The following templates focus on accountability and remediation.
The Employee / Co-Worker Template:
“I realize that [Specific Action/Mistake] has caused [Impact on You/Project]. To resolve this, I am [Immediate Action Step] and will have it to you by [Time/Date].”
Name of Person / Date/Issue Topic
How to Pair Your Responses with Their Apologies
If the Employee Says…
You can respond with…
“I realize missing the 9 AM deadline delayed your reviewand I’m working to resolve my scheduling conflict.
“Thanks for acknowledging the delay. Since we’re on a deadline, I’ll look for the update by the time you specified and if you need assistance with your scheduling conflict, please let me know.”
“I see the error in the spreadsheet; it’s made the data look inconsistent.”
“I appreciate you catching the data error. Now that we’re back on track, let’s focus on adding that to your role.”
“I’m adjusting my process to ensure this oversight doesn’t happen again.”
“I appreciate you changing your work method. Could we briefly walk through what caused the slip-up and the change in process?”
Integrating KUDOS into your workday is a fantastic way to build healthy working relationships and healthier work habits. Here is how you can weave KUDOS into your daily routine:
Morning: Knowing & Understanding Your Work Day
Start your day by getting yourself ready before the chaos begins.
Self-Check: Take twenty minutes to identify your current emotional state at work, your top priorities for the day and make sure you have everything to complete your daily goals. Ask yourself, “who do I need to interact with today?”
Active Empathy: Before your first meeting or social interaction, remind yourself that everyone you encounter has their own goals you may be able to help. Make sure you know how they are helping or working with you on your goals for the day or in your projects.
Mid-Day: Doing & Openness
This is the “action” phase where you engage with people at work.
Action: Do your work and make sure your colleagues know when they can interrupt. Break one large goal into a day goal task and finish it before lunch. Let people email you if they have a question and respond to them after you finish your morning goal. Thank them for working with you by sending an email (Kudos file the email).
The Feedback Loop: When someone offers a suggestion or a critique during your breaks or through email, read the email a few times before responding. Keep your response in active reading mode or listening mode.
End of Day Solidarity & Recognition
Wrap up your day by connecting with other teammates, emailing or sharing in a conversation updates or Kudos of appreciation.
Express Gratitude: Send one quick text or email to a friend or colleague acknowledging something specific they did well during the day or sharing information that might help their goals.
Daily Review: Before leaving your desk, review what you accomplished that day, what you would like to accomplish tomorrow and what your schedule is tomorrow. Check to see where you may need to interact with your colleagues.
Quick Reference Table: The KUDOS Daily Anchor
Principle
Daily Application
Small Habit to Start
Knowing
Self-awareness
Morning journaling (3 bullets).
Understanding
Empathy for others
Pause 3 seconds before responding.
Doing
Consistent action
The “Eat the Frog” technique.
Learning
Intellectual Growth
Learn a new fact that will help your work.
Solidarity
Community support
Give a genuine compliment to your co-workers.
Day Goal Suggestion
Incorporate a Knowledge Drop into your day: When someone explains a complex concept clearly or shares a resource that saves everyone time. Make the knowledge drop helpful to your work and projects and something in the news.
The goal when supporting a colleague is to be supportive rather than someone with a personal agenda. Here is a list of thoughtful, low-pressure ways to support your colleagues with thoughtful gestures that are not flirty:
The Public Praise Approach
Nothing says I respect your work like a professional validation. This is a high-impact way to support a colleague that stays strictly within the realm of business.
Give a shout-out in a meeting: Mention a colleague’s specific contribution to a project when leadership is present at a meeting.
Send a “Cc the Boss” email: When someone helps you out, send a thank-you email and copy their manager to let him know that you are working as a team.
Write a LinkedIn recommendation: Write a well-written endorsement of your colleagues skills is a massive professional gift.
The Utilitarian Approach
Focus on things that make your colleagues workday easier without requiring an emotional or personal response.
The “Refill” Rule: If you’re heading to the break room for coffee and see a colleague focused but not deeply focused, where you are interrupting, give a quick “Hey, I’m heading to the kitchen, want me another coffee?” Be helpful but brief.
Share relevant resources: If you find an article or tool that solves a problem they’ve been complaining about, Send it over with a simple: “I saw this and thought it might help with that [Project X] .”
The Inclusive Group Approach
To avoid any “one-on-one” awkwardness, focus on gestures that benefit the collective.
The “Community Break”: Bring something for the coffee break for the whole department to enjoy, a celebration cake for reaching a timeline marker removes the “this is just for you” vibe.
Meeting Hygiene: Take time to send out a brief summary or “action items” after a meeting that may not have ended with a clear resolution. Everyone appreciates the person who saves them from taking notes and helps them focus their energy on specific bullet points or points to clarify.
How to Keep it Professional
To ensure your intentions aren’t misread, keep these three rules in mind:
Strategy
Why it Works
Keep it Public
Use open channels to keep praise transparent.
Focus on Task, Not Person
Compliment the work (“That report was so clear”) rather than the person (“You’re so smart”).
The “Drive-By” Method
Keep interactions short. Deliver the help or the compliment, then immediately pivot back to your own desk.
At work, identifying triggers requires looking for operational frictions. By reframing your emotional reactions as data about your work environment, you can identify them without appearing weak or unable to hold your position.
The Work Trigger Review
Translate your emotional reactions into business language. This moves the focus from your feelings to your effectiveness at work.
If you feel:
Reframe it as:
Why this sounds “Strong”:
Micro-managed (Anxious/Annoyed)
A need for Autonomy
It shows you value ownership and efficiency.
Ignored in meetings (Hurt/Invisible)
A need for Contribution Equity
It shows you want to maximize your value to the team.
Last-minute changes (Panicked/Angry)
A need for Predictability/Process
It shows you are focused on quality and planning.
Unclear feedback (Defensive/Confused)
A need for Actionable Clarity
It shows you are growth-oriented and results-driven.
Use the “SCARF” Model
Developed by a neuroscientist, this model lists the five domains the brain treats as “survival” issues at work. If one of these is threatened, you will be triggered.
Status: Your relative importance to others.
Certainty: Your ability to predict the future.
Autonomy: Your sense of control over events.
Relatedness: Your sense of safety with others (friend vs. foe).
Fairness: The perception of fair exchanges between people.
Setting “Proactive Boundaries”
Identifying a trigger allows you to solve the problem before the emotion hits. This makes you look like a high-performer who manages their own workflow.
Trigger: Being put on the spot for answers.
Professional Solution: “I want to give you the most accurate data. Can we add an ‘Updates’ section to the agenda so I can prepare my notes in advance?”
Trigger: Vague, “can we chat?” messages.
Professional Solution: “I’m in deep-work mode right now. Could you send over a quick agenda so I can make sure I have the right files ready when we talk?”
Managing the “Post-Trigger” Moment
If you do get triggered and feel a reaction coming on, use the “Consultant’s Pause.”
Instead of reacting emotionally, say: “That’s an interesting. I will be right back to continue our conversation.” This doesn’t look weak—it looks deliberate and composed. If you are unable to leave. Take a pause and look for data. or write down what was said and make sure that you have the information down accurately.”
