Can we start giving books as a form of appreciation?

Our HR team recently organised a Focused Group Discussion (FGD) and invited several employees from various departments within the bank to participate. At the end of the FGD, the team presented each attendee with a thank-you note for attending and a thoughtfully selected book on leadership. To our surprise, each book was unique and personalised to fit our interests and needs. We felt deeply appreciated and valued by our HR team.

During the 1990s, there was only one television channel, BTV. Every month, viewers eagerly awaited Hanif Sangket's "Ittadi" show. In each episode, Sangket would give away books and trees to contest winners, sponsored by Keya Toiletries. He always said, "Here's your gift - some valuable books and environment-friendly plants."

At the time, we didn't appreciate the significance of these gifts and even made jokes about them. But now, after years of seeking knowledge and understanding climate change, we realise how priceless those gifts were.

In one of his recent shows, Hanif Sangket revisited some guests who won plants on Ittadi 20 years ago to demonstrate how big the trees had grown. Today, we all understand how important books and trees are for our lives.

A famous saying states, "You are what you read," meaning that the books we read profoundly impact our lives. When our HR team presented us with books, we were delighted that they carefully selected each book to provide valuable insights into effective leadership practices. Reading these books will help us enhance our leadership skills.

Books are not just a source of knowledge, intellect, and creativity. We introduced a reading café at our organisation last year, where we pick a book every month and discuss it to gain diverse perspectives. The café even published a book consisting of write-ups by our colleagues at the Ekushey Boi Mela this year. This book now provides a unique opportunity for our people to interact and get acquainted with different stakeholders.

People feel valued and appreciated when gifted with books. Why not consider providing books as a reward for participating in training and workshops instead of the usual certificates and crests?

Our mind can be thought of as a mental factory that processes and creates thoughts. What we feed into our minds shapes and influences how we feel. It is crucial to be mindful of this fact and choose wisely what we allow into our mental factory. Books can be an excellent source of positive input for our minds.

Our lives are like empty cups waiting to be filled with experiences. We have the power to fill our cups in countless ways. Research proves that when we imagine experiencing something by reading about it, our bodies react as if we are actually in that situation. For instance, elite athletes often visualise winning, and their brains show activity as if they are competing. By reading, we can travel to places we have never been to, meet people we have never met, and learn new things we never knew before.

Providing books to workshop participants is beneficial because it allows for deeper exploration and reflection of critical concepts beyond the limited timeframe of a workshop. Books offer diverse perspectives and insights that complement the curriculum and empower participants to explore different viewpoints. Additionally, giving books demonstrates a commitment to ongoing development and growth, motivating participants to take ownership of their learning journey.

Author Haruki Murakami once said, "If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking." This quote applies to our lives in many ways. We should introduce our co-workers to books on various topics to encourage them to broaden their horizons and explore something new. By doing so, we can inspire them to have conversations with people from different fields, leading to fresh thoughts, ideas, and unique ways of thinking.

Let's celebrate different occasions and days at work by gifting books to our co-workers and encouraging them to read. We can inspire them to become their best selves through training and workshops and by promoting reading habits. It will undoubtedly help them learn, grow, and succeed.

The author, Shafiq R Bhuiyan, is the Vice President of Communication and CSR at BRAC Bank PLC

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.