Show Appreciation on National Boss Day

In the two years Grace Carnes has worked with her supervisor in Duke’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, she’s learned her boss is a big fan of The Office TV show.In celebration of National Boss Day on Thursday, Carnes and her colleagues will present their supervisor, Barbara Baron, with a “Dundie,” a small trophy of a man carrying a briefcase. Dundies were awarded to employees of The Office’s fictional paper company, Dunder Mifflin. Of Baron, Carnes said: “Barbara leads by example through honesty, empathy, respect and open-mindedness. She’s highly professional while remaining completely approachable. I don’t know what we’d do without her encouraging guidance, quick wit, and the bowl of chocolate she keeps on her desk to fuel our busy workdays.”Duke employees can celebrate the day by highlighting their colleagues and managers on Duke’s “Making a Difference” blog, which is available throughout the year for staff and faculty to use.In the Office of Prospect Research, Management and Analytics in Duke Development Services, Jennifer Salamh considers giving small tokens of appreciation to supervisors a tradition. This year, she and her coworkers plan to send a card with a Whole Foods gift card in the mail to her new supervisor, who is on maternity leave. “It’s just important when you have a great leader to recognize them and give them thanks,” said Salamh, a senior business analyst and database specialist. “She’s been a great mentor for our office.”Are you or your department planning something special on Thursday? Share your office photos and words of appreciation on Twitter by using #DukeBossDay.