There are 5 Elements of Recognition: - Human Interaction
- Peer Participation
- A Useful & Desirable Gift
- Family Involvement
- Immediate Gratification
Human Interaction: Let's face it, an email simply isn't going to get as positive a response as a heartfelt meaningful presentation by your superior. Too many companies these days are looking for easy solutions, and are missing the point. It isn't about "things", its about creating a culture in your organization that is valued by the people that work there. Peer Participation: The strongest presentations can found be in a formal banquet hall filled with large round tables and guests all dressed for the night, or they can be found inside a maze of cubicles with an impromtu department staff meeting. In both cases, you are surrounded by the people you work with, the people you see every day, and your management team. It doesnt matter the venue, what matters is how the recipient is held up in the spotlight and recognized before everyone for the contributions made to the team. A Useful and Desirable Gift: There is nothing more devastating than receiving an award and having no use for it. Awards can be symbolic and meant for display, awards can be functional and meant to be used, awards can have utility value. But they all depend on the interaction with the recipient. Is the award you have something that the recipient will appreciate and vaule? If not, you better look for new ideas. If it is, you can be assured that the item will be treasured for all time. Family Involvement: Good managers understand that they will have to ask employees to stay late, go the extra mile, be out of town, miss family events, and in some cases interfere with family life. Really good managers will incorporate the spouse and when possible, the kids, into the recognition event. They also are recognized for their contributions and sacrifices. Make sure that if there is an awards catalog, that the family gets to share in making a selection. It helps if the program is designed with family lifestyle awards to recognize this commitment. Immediate Gratification: An important element to good recognition practice is to make sure the presentation is tied into the employee anniversary date or company event, and that the recognition event has something at that moment in the spotlight that the recipient takes home. In many of our programs this is a symbolic award that is part of the presentation package. Also inside the package is a gift selection, that may take several days or a week to select, order and arrive. By having something ready to present at the presentation moment, it really reinforces the commitement and appreciation. |
