NFIB

Blue Sky Thinking: Make Your Employees' Day
05/ 27/ 2003

Make Their Day! (Berett-Koehler Publishers, $19) describes what employers and employees each expect from recognition, why most recognition efforts miss the mark and what readers can do to give morale and productivity a genuine, lasting boost. Drawing on dozens of real-life exapmles, author Cindy Ventrice show that effective recognition is more about integrating it into the daily workplace routine, and less about "special events." She outlines the key elements of effective recognition and explains why good working relationships are at the core of all effective recognition.

Here's an excerpt:

What kind of manager can make employees who aren't the "touchy-feely" type comfortable with a recognition that resembles an encounter group? When I interviewed Boyes, I learned that she was a retired army first sergeant who has been awarded numerous prestigious leadership awards. Her background provided plenty of experience with formal recognition programs. She offers these tips to help you offer recognition that works:

1. Provide clear expectations, validation, respect, loyalty and trust.

Boyes focuses on building strong working relationships with each person because she knows this is the foundation for effective recognition.

2. Figure out what people have to offer and leverage those strengths.

According to Boyes, the key to making people feel recognized is to select challenges and opportunities that are appropriate for and stretch the individual while still focusing on results.

3. Individual recognition.

Boyes makes sure she knows enough about employees to select recognition that they will value. Individualizing recognition was the key to making the "hot seat" so successful. She knew her team well enough to know that, even with initial reluctance, they would warm up to the idea of taking turns recognizing each other verbally. She uses this same knowledge about what her people value to select recognition awards when appropriate.

4. Encourage employees to recognize each other.

The recognition session at their retreat was only one example of peers recognizing each other. Team members acknowledge each other regularly - whenever they see someone doing something right. Boyes encourages her employees by modeling good behavior and coaching them to be alert for opportunities to recognize each other.

5. Celebrate as a team.

Once a year they have a formal recognition event for the team. Three volunteers put a dinner together that includes some form of fun recognition activity for the group.

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This Web extra is supplement to the article "Blue Sky Thinking," which appears in the June/July 2003 issue of MyBusiness magazine.

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