My brother-in-law came across this story and it's another case of an inspirational topple.
Please watch the video to get the full story, but in summary: 
State Bank and Trust in Fargo, N.D is apparently a company that truly understands what it means to create a great place for people to work. They are very generous with benefits, and end of the year bonuses. This year, each employee was given $1,000 with one catch. You guessed it, to pay it forward. Here's a link to the Bank's website which also discusses the program (complete with Oprah impersonator as seen in this photo).
This story really inspires me to keep blogging about how one thing leads to another, and how developing a deeper understanding of this allows you to become more strategic in your endeavors. This was a "nice" thing for the bank to do, but even more than that it was a brilliant way to build employee loyalty. Who wouldn't want to work for a company like this? Sure, some people would rather pocket the money instead of knocking another domino over, but we all know it feels great to give gifts. And, gifts that create an impact are even more enjoyable.
As they elude to at the end of the story, maybe the press they got from CBS will help to spread the idea to other companies. It reminds me a lot of Elevation Church, where as I wrote about before, the members of the church received cash that they then paid forward (another story I learned about from a reader).
Now think about this... What if they could take even further and track the ongoing impact of the $1,000 gifts. For example, in the video one person gives their $1000 to someone who's car was stolen. What if that person then reported back to the giver something amazing that happened by having a car again (a new job, stopping to help someone in need, etc.).
That's the whole idea behind the serial numbered dominoes. As they move, and stories emerge, people will be able to get on the Internet and show how the topple is moving. I wish I could magically wave a wand and have the site be done, but it's getting there. Once it's in place I truly believe that this blog and the concepts around it will take off. In other words, the website is a huge important domino in topple #0000001 - the topple that brings Domino Theory to life and sets in motion more topples.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this inspiration story. I have few requests:
- please keep an eye out for stories like this and send them to me. They don't have to be pay it forward stories, just ones about ordinary people setting in motion big ideas.
- post a comment on the blog about how this story impacted you.
- if you are business owner/exec/etc., please consider doing something like this with your company this year. It doesn't have to be a year-end thing. If you do, I will provide the dominoes and the website to track all the stories. I can see it now: Topple #0000005 - Cool Companies Build Loyalty with Bonus Program that Pays it Forward. Fun stuff.
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