Banyan Roots: A Look Inside Stand-Up

Stand-up…comedy? Stand-up…paddleboard?
Nope!
Just Stand-Up.

That’s what we have lovingly named our daily morning meeting in our Ashland, Oregon Customer Service and Marketing Office.

Monday through Friday at 9:30am PST (10:30am on Mondays!) someone sounds the chime that calls all office members to stand up, gather together, and share.

We start this meeting by singing the Gayatri Mantra. If you have ever called in at this time to place an order over the phone or ask us a question, you may have heard us singing in the background!

The Gayatri Mantra is “a highly revered mantra of the Vedic tradition.” We use this mantra to call in the guiding light of the universe to illuminate our work and ourselves.

After a brief recap of the previous days statistics, the floor is open for announcements. Announcements range from talking about what newsletters are being emailed that day to an individual’s work schedule adjustments. Often, we share personal information too. Last week, Customer Service Specialist and Wholesale Account Assistant, Shawn, let us know that her daughter was starring as the lead in her school play!

Of all the stand up traditions, the most prevalent is the use of finger snapping as encouragement, instead of clapping. Because the majority of the office is a customer call center, we have to be mindful of our noise level.

Next is “Inspiration of the Day”! We use this time to get fired up about…lots of things! Sometimes we reflect on the beauty of nature, other times we share gratitude for a story we heard on the news or in the community, and commonly, we share customer comments and stories about how Ayurveda and our products have helped them achieve greater health.

Finally, we make room to offer team member appreciations. This is a time to express thanks for the work of another team member that took initiative, went above and beyond on a project, or helped another in a pinch. Not only do we share appreciations for hard work, we like to acknowledge heart-centered action too, like when a team member displays openness and flexibility, even in the face of adversity.

We end all Stand-Up meetings with an “OM Shanti Shanti Shanti”. We know, this is a bit woo-woo and may seem overly-spiritual to some! But in truth, we believe the meaning of this action is an important part of the work that we do every day. Our focus with the closing moments of our circle is to use our energetic power to offer healing to all those in need.

So, if you ever give us a ring at 9:30am, know that we are gathering together in the background to reconnect with Banyan’s goals and values, our team members, our customers, and everyone, everywhere.