Brownie Points

Brownie points in modern usage are an imaginary social currency, which can be acquired by doing good deeds or earning favor in the eyes of others.

I recently saw an interesting YouTube video of a fellow who claims to have worked at a company that would distribute annual bonuses based on brownie points. Everyone in the company was given 100 brownie points every year. They could anonymously distribute the 100 points to any number of people other than themselves. This would encourage people to do good deeds for others, not just for those who were in power.

Every year, a percentage of company profits was set aside for employee bonuses. With every person in the company deciding independently who would get a tiny percentage of the profits, the brownie points allowed people to be rewarded, by decentralizing and democratizing its distribution. The more people you helped, the more points you could amass, based on your actions toward others.

Saying Thank You is Good for Everyone

A 2020 study shows that expressing gratitude affects not only the grateful person, but anyone who witnesses it. These benefits have mostly been observed in a two-person exchange—someone saying thanks and someone receiving thanks. The study suggests that expressing gratitude not only improves one-on-one relationships, but could bring entire groups together—inspiring a desire to help and connect in people who simply witness an act of gratitude.

Kudos

Though Atlassian (my employer) doesn’t have an annual bonus structure like the Brownie Points, we do have a mechanism to reward others and thank them for some good deed or an action that inspired us, by living Atlassian values. We call them kudos. Unlike the brownie points, we’re not limited to just 100 kudos once a year. Though big kudos do require manager approval, regular kudos do not require any approval.

Take a few minutes out of your day, today, and reflect on something someone has recently done for you. Thank them. If they are an Atlassian, consider sending them a kudos. I promise you, a small act of gratitude goes a long way.