Story #18 is a unique way that SSM acknowledged our employees.

Believe it or not, giraffes used to be a staple around the SSM office!

At SSM we’ve always had a passion for highlighting our people and the work that they do. A previous story in our series was about the Little Lulu award that SSM utilized throughout the 80’s and 90’s. This story is about another employee recognition era at SSM: The Order of the Giraffe.

The Giraffe Award (2014-2017) was a peer recognition award for both individuals and teams. The giraffe, named Spotts, was awarded to someone that went head and shoulders above the rest. Once awarded, Spotts lived on the individual's desk for the month until the next award ceremony. Accompanying Spotts, winners of the award received a small plastic giraffe to keep, as well as a monetary award for their hard work.

Teams at SSM could also be awarded The Tower Award! A Tower refers to a group of Giraffes. The Tower Award was also presented monthly to the team that stretched beyond the normal and went above and beyond what’s expected.

Today, there are still some small plastic giraffes floating around SSM offices.