Hello readers! I’m here to introduce you to our 2018 Integrity Value Champion! It’s incredibly important for us to recognize our employees at Crystal D. One way we do this is with our Value Champion program. Each quarter, our employees nominate their coworkers for living out our five core values and a quarterly WOW Champ for each value is selected by managers. At the end of the year, the managers review the nominations of each WOW Champ and ultimately pick the next Value Champion and Grand Value Champion. We recognized a new set of Value Champions (VCs) at WOW Day back in January.
Each of our VCs has been selected as the person who best lived out one of our five core values: integrity, quality, respect, commitment, and passion. In addition to the recognition of being a winner, our VCs receive some awesome perks throughout the year including:
- A shiny crystal award presented to them at WOW Day
- Their name and picture on the Wall of Champions
- A reserved parking spot right in front of the building
- Extra days of PTO throughout the year
- An afternoon of fun in the sun with Chuck at the boat outing
- Eight different meals from Let’s Dish!
- $100 and an afternoon off to go holiday shopping
- Meetings with managers over breakfast to discuss how Crystal D can improve
- Help planning company events and community outreach
- Participating in New Employee Orientation (NEO) as a welcoming committee
That’s a lot of great stuff!
I had the chance to meet with Jen, our newest Integrity Value Champion, to talk about how it felt winning the award and what it’s been like as a VC.
Alexis: Congratulations, Jen! How did you feel when your name was announced as the winner? Did you think you were going to win?
Jen: I was 100% shocked. I had no idea this was coming, especially since we had some amazing WOW Champs this year that I was up against. When I first started at Crystal D and learned about our values and Value Champions, integrity is the one that I connected with the most. This is THE award I’ve been wanting to win, and to be nominated by my peers and selected by managers as the person who demonstrated this best was an incredible feeling.
Alexis: How did you feel when you were on stage and during the presentation of your award?
Jen: Before I went on stage, they played a video about my win with comments and stories from managers. I couldn’t stop crying! The words from managers and nominations from my peers were all amazing. The cheers and applause from my coworkers and the managers meant the world, and the sincerity from Chuck was so nice.
Alexis: What kind of impact do you want to make as a Value Champion?
Jen: I want to be remembered. I want people to think of me when they think integrity. I want to help make Crystal D even more incredible than it already is. And I want to leave my mark in community outreach.
Alexis: What are you looking forward to most now that you are a Value Champion?
Jen: I’m looking forward to spending time with my fellow VCs and finding ways to help the company grow. I’m also looking forward to helping our Memory Makers hit that 1000-hour volunteering goal again! Oh, and the perks we get as a VC are fun too.
Alexis: On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being “terrible” and 5 being “totally awesome,” how great is it to have a reserved parking spot?
Jen: This one goes to 11! But it’s also a daily reminder that I achieved something special. It’s nice to see your name by the word “champion” every day!
Alexis: OK, we’ve answered the serious questions. Now time for the fun ones. What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Jen: The people who have known me for years will immediately know this answer! Garth Brooks “Friends in Low Places.” I have a TERRIBLE voice, but it’s the only song I’ll willingly sing by myself. He’s also my favorite artist of all time, and this is my favorite song of all time.
Alexis: If you were a superhero, what would be your superpower?
Jen: Invisibility! It’s kind of sneaky, and I like it.
Alexis: Is a hot dog a sandwich? Why or why not?
Jen: Nope, a hot dog is a taco. It’s a meat/protein surrounded on three sides by a vessel and has toppings. 100% taco.
Alexis: Which famous person, dead or alive, would you most like to have dinner with?
Jen: I need a duo for this. I want to talk journalism and Watergate with Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. This would be the nerdiest dinner ever for me, and I would LOVE it!
Alexis: What’s your favorite cheesy pick-up line?
Jen: Are you a beaver? Because daaaaaaaaaaam!
Alexis: If you could make any animal small enough to fit in your pocket, what animal would you constantly carry around?
Jen: Again, if you know me, you know this answer immediately. A LLAMA!!!
Alexis: If a genie granted you three wishes, what would you wish for? “Unlimited wishes” and “unlimited genies” are not allowed!
Jen: First, a domesticated and polite pet llama. Second, all the shoes and purses my heart desires. Third, an all-expense paid trip to Europe so I can spend all the time I want learning my family history.
Thanks for chatting with me, Jen! And congratulations again on becoming the 2018 Integrity Value Champion!
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