When employees can’t rely on their own team for support
July 21, 2011
In a recent post, Chris Guillebeau – author of The Art of Non-Conformity and one of my favourite bloggers, talks about how people closest to you can sometimes leave you feeling dejected with their less-than-enthusiastic reaction to an idea or project that means the world to you.
But lo and behold, just as you’re questioning yourself and whether you should just give up, you’re totally surprised by people you barely paid attention to before who come out of left field to praise your idea. They explain how your innovation or hard work is making life so much better for them and tell you how much they appreciate your dedication and selflessness.
Wow! Not only do you feel appreciated, refreshed and energized, you now feel a responsibility towards your new fans to keep going, work harder and be worthy of their praise. You immediately re-engage, and bask on cloud nine for a while.
This scenario also happens at work where – for whatever reason – an employee may not always get the support that she needs from her manager or teammates. Fortunately for her and for the organization, fans will emerge from other teams or departments with messages of appreciation that raise her spirits and bolster her level of engagement.
That’s the beauty of an employee recognition program that is fully social and open to everyone in the organization. When some people won’t step up, others will step in to save the day.
Quick Employee Recognition is Better? Says Who?
June 29, 2011
I have a bone to pick with whoever started the trend that focuses on quick recognition. It seems entirely counter intuitive to say and promote that quick recognition from peers or managers is the way to go.
Sure, everyone is busy these days, I understand. But, when you have an opportunity to communicate your appreciation for a colleague or employee’s success, is less really more? Will that deserving individual really feel great about what they’ve accomplished when they read your note featuring 144 characters or less?
Please don’t get me wrong, all forms of recognition are good. What I’m saying is that employee recognition becomes incredibly valuable when you create meaningful stories. Stories that let your employees shine. Stories that truly communicate what it means to be a dedicated, hard-working, goal-achieving member of your team.
The recognition message certainly does not need to resemble an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story; simple additions and a bit of extra thought will do wonders.
The next time you prepare to recognize a member of your team, try this: take an additional 5 minutes to consider how their accomplishment has helped your team and your clients, how they’ve demonstrated your company’s values, and how they have contributed to the company’s ultimate goals. Think about the steps they’ve taken and the obstacles they’ve overcome to get there. Sure, it will take a few more minutes, but the outcome will be worth it.
Write a story, share it, and see how great it feels for the recipient, yourself and your entire team. Be proud of all successes, big or small; they truly are worth celebrating.
Employee Recognition Programs can be an essential part of your companies engagement strategy, but are they business critical? Far from being just ‘feel-good’, these programs are becoming more robust and offer a number of aspects that have increased their importance far beyond recognition.
An effective program should be used to highlight many business critical functions in an organization, including:
Emphasizing core values: Core values are an essential focus for successful businesses. The companies who emphasize them and consistently recognize their employees who put them into practice, find dramatic cultural shifts taking place. The list is long and impressive, but here are a few that really stand out. Apple: ‘We don’t settle for anything less than excellence ‘. Zappos: ‘Deliver WOW Through Service’. Virgin: ‘Quality service by empowering our employees‘. Living these core values has separated these companies from their competitors and these values should be the force behind any well-thought out recognition program.
Creating a positive culture: It’s an undisputed fact that positive reinforcement fosters more positive activity. What you focus on becomes reality! Recognition programs should make it easy for employees to feel connected, involved, recognized and rewarded, all key factors in a healthy organization. There are everyday heroes in your workplace, and highlighting them in an open and transparent forum, not only feels good for the recipient, but is also inspiring to those around.
Highlight employee strengths and successes: What do your employees stand for? What are some of the strengths that separate them from each other? A good employee recognition program should highlight these strengths from both the perspective of managers and colleagues. Awards, success stories and strengths should be highlighted for all to see and provide a good overall view of who each of your employees are.
Employee Recognition Programs are not just an extra ‘feel-good’ extension of your company, they should be a driving force behind your culture, and identity. Companies that are buying into this philosophy are making waves, and are defining themselves as leaders in every industry. So what’s your opinion, is your company ready to take the next step?
Employee recognition: Are you doing it wrong?
March 7, 2011
Many companies (including vendors) don’t distinguish between rewarding and recognizing. The difference though is vital to the success or failure of your Employee Recognition Program. So what is the difference and how much does it matter? Let’s compare.
Recognizing is all about the story. It’s defining values and celebrating (ideally, in front of your entire company) individuals or teams that put them into practice. You see, it’s all about context. It’s letting your employees know what you believe in, and sharing the real-life stories of the heroes that have gone beyond the call of duty and lived by those values. When everyone sees that these stories are celebrated, they are more likely to understand and become part of your corporate culture.
On the other hand, receiving a gift, having a pizza party, or getting a plaque are all ways of being rewarded. There is no doubt that people love to be rewarded as well, but the emphasis shouldn’t be on the reward. You don’t want a culture where rewards are what spur your teams on to do more; you want them to do it because it’s ingrained in your culture. It’s your foundation. Your employees know that it’s what sets you apart from your competition. It’s those values that your business lives by, and that keep your customers coming back.
Are you using recognition to create a culture of value in your organization, or are you just dangling carrots in front of your employees? The difference does matter… a lot!
Join the employee recognition revolution!
June 5, 2010
The pyramid structure of most organizations often leads to it being the manager’s job to recognize employees. You know how it works. A colleague does a great job and you take it upon yourself to mention it to someone higher up in order for her to be recognized or rewarded.
But is that really the way workplace recognition should work? First off, is your manager going to have the time to do it, and if she does, will she deliver the kudos in a timlely manner, with as much passion as you have? There is a better way. Give employees the tools for instant peer-to-peer recognition.
Ok, I’ll wait a few minutes while you catch your breath. But seriously, as social media becomes more and more common, why can’t we harness some of the tools for motivation at work? Sure, nobody wants to hear about what Jim from accounting had for dinner last night, but I would argue that everyone would like to know how he went the extra mile to help out a colleague with an issue that he was struggling with.
At Rewards Nation, we take the stance that managers should not be the only people responsible for recognizing good work. Think about how empowered your employees will feel with the tools to make someone’s day instantly. We call that recognition an applause, and it’s a great way to put a smile on someone’s face.
So how about it? Are you ready to give your employees the power to inspire each other? Turn that pyramid upside down and launch a positive revolution today!
