A Daffodil On Every Desk

This week, Colliers is encouraging thousands of its employees and property tenants to bring joy back to work and put a daffodil on every desk in support of the Canadian Cancer Society’s annual Daffodil Days program. We chatted with Colliers Canada president of real estate management services John Duda to find out more. —Vita Daily

Hi John! Please tell us a bit about yourself and Colliers to start.

Colliers is a global leader in real estate services and investment management. I oversee professional management of more than 67 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space across the country.

This week, Colliers is encouraging thousands of its employees and property tenants to bring joy back to work and put a daffodil on every desk; where did this idea come from, how will it work and how does it support the Canadian Cancer Society’s annual Daffodil Days program?

The idea came through Colliers’ president and CEO, Brian Rosen, who is active on the board with the Ontario chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society. So many charities struggled to raise funds during the pandemic, the Canadian Cancer Society included. Cancer will impact nearly half of Canadians in their lifetime and they need funding to continue their important work. As more people return to the office this spring, displaying the bright yellow daffodils in our offices and managed properties serves as a visual reminder of the Canadian Cancer Society and honour the work they are doing in cancer research, advocacy and improving the lives of people affected by cancer.

Which Colliers offices and properties specifically are participating, and where? Will Colliers also be matching donations?

We’re pleased to have rolled out the Daffodil Days campaign across five of our offices, including Toronto Downtown, Toronto West, Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver, and 29 of our Colliers-managed properties, nationally. In our participating offices and managed properties, we’re displaying daffodil carts and tip tap donation machines for tenants and visitors to contribute to the campaign. Offices outside of the daffodil delivery area can still contribute to the campaign, and Colliers will be making a corporate donation and matching all donations up to $25,000.

In this vein, what other sorts of initiatives can (or should) companies undertake to rebuild team morale and culture after months of virtual interactions?

Rebuilding culture after months of virtual interactions is going to be key as we return to the office. Some people will be returning to the office full time, others hybrid, while some may remain remote. Uniting people together to support a common cause, especially one as important as the Canadian Cancer Society, can help build community and facilitate collaboration between and across teams.

Why the collaboration between the Canadian Cancer Society and Colliers?

With nearly half of Canadians diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, almost all of us are impacted in some way, and as leaders in our industry, we are in a unique position to step up and affect change.

cancer.ca