After looking at several years of memos haphazardly tacked to the company bulletin board, you've come to the realization it's not a very compelling display. The problem is, your background is in business, not elementary education. Every time you walk by the bulletin board, it taunts you about your lack of bulletin board expertise. Never fear. Putting together a unique bulletin board isn't at all difficult. You may even have fun showing that sassy office accessory who's boss.
The Basics
Step 1
Cover the bulletin board. Nothing says "boring" like plain-Jane cork board framed in aluminum or unstained wood. You can buy a long length of colored paper at a school supply store and use that, or purchase some snazzy fabric for your background. Colorful tissue paper and newspaper also make good background materials. The sky is the limit -- you could even use a colorful tablecloth or a shower curtain that has a fanciful design.
Step 2
Make your bulletin board fit the theme of your business. A firm specializing in computer networking might want to use a background of dot matrix printer paper along with a border of colorful cords. An oil and gas business could use a background of old maps with a border of "dollar bills" torn from a novelty notepad. The regional office for a chain of steak restaurants might use a black background with sisal rope for the border, hanging horseshoes at the corners. A vineyard can cover a bulletin board by covering the entire board with wine corks.
Step 3
Divide your bulletin board into sections to accommodate documents such as safety bulletins, policy memos and employment law postings. Use a different color background to clearly differentiate between the two sections of the board and consider using labels to identify the type of content posted.
Interactive and Relevant Content
Consider maintaining two bulletin boards -- one for federally mandated postings and other mind-numbing material, and another one to promote the company's employees and values.
Avoid using prepackaged bulletin board designs and borders. Your office will look more like a kindergarten than a place of business, and the bulletin board will be anything but unique.
Step 1
Attach library book pockets that are labeled with each employee's name to the board. Staple a paper cup that holds strips of paper and a pen so that employees can write positive feedback to each other as a "random act of kindness." The bulletin board will no longer be a cousin to the boring whiteboard, but will become a focal point of joy for the entire office.
Step 2
Use the bulletin board to give feedback to hard-working employees. Make "wanted" posters and attach them to the board. Write something like "Wanted: Jose Morena -- Notorious for his stealthy copy machine repairs when all others have abandoned hope." Include a photo.
Step 3
Draw a bar graph to show your company's progress in one or more areas. Use string to hang markers from the board so that whenever an employee makes a new sale or otherwise increases your company's numbers they can add their accomplishment to the graph.
Tips
Warnings
References
Tips
- Consider maintaining two bulletin boards -- one for federally mandated postings and other mind-numbing material, and another one to promote the company's employees and values.
Warnings
- Avoid using prepackaged bulletin board designs and borders. Your office will look more like a kindergarten than a place of business, and the bulletin board will be anything but unique.
Writer Bio
Elise Wile has been a writer since 2003. Holding a master's degree in curriculum and Instruction, she has written training materials for three school districts. Her expertise includes mentoring, serving at-risk students and corporate training.