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INFORMAL
RECOGNITION IDEAS – INVENTIVE INCENTIVES!
Most of us would agree that it is the
little things in life that make a difference to our overall well-being.
When one of our employees does something special at work, we should take
the time to celebrate and recognize that special effort. Recognition
programs don’t have to be structured—there’s a lot to be said for
the element of surprise. So, simply showing up at someone’s desk to
say "Thank You" just takes you a few minutes of your time to
show your appreciation for the extra efforts. After all, when someone
has given their "all" to ensure the FAA mission is met, aren’t
they worth it?
While we have a number of formal
recognition programs on a local and national level, it is important that
managers, supervisors, and co-workers recognize each other on a
frequent, informal basis. Spontaneous, informal awards can be
implemented by almost any leader with minimal planning and effort.
NO-COST RECOGNITION
Some of the most effective forms of
recognition cost nothing at all. A sincere THANK YOU from the right
person at the right time can mean more to an employee than a raise, a
formal award, or a whole wall of plaques. Part of the power of such
rewards comes from the knowledge that someone took the time to notice
the achievement, seek out the employee responsible and personally
deliver praise in a timely manner.
Research by Dr. Gerald Graham throughout
the United States revealed that the type of reward employees most
preferred was personalized, spur-of-the-moment recognition from their
direct supervisors. In a recent survey of American workers, 63 percent
of the respondents indicated a "pat on the back" as a
meaningful incentive.
Since several studies on employees have
shown that the greatest influence on job satisfaction is the supervisor,
any manager has all the ingredients for achieving a high degree of
satisfaction—and a correspondingly high level of performance—among
his or her employees.
[Excerpt from 1001 Ways to Reward
Employees by Bob Nelson © 1994]
LOW COST RECOGNITION
The following informal awards can be
implemented with minimal budget impact. With a little creativity and
inventiveness, many thoughtful awards can be "hatched." Let
employees get in on the act and develop some awards of their own to give
to co-workers. Peers often have a great awareness of the contributions
of a co-worker.
Some of the following ideas are found in 1001
Ways to Reward Employees by Bob Nelson:
Human Resource Management Division
employees recognize co-workers with the Energizer Bunny Award for the
employee that just keeps going and going. The Bunny is a stuffed
character just like the one on TV and is passed on at every all hands
meeting.
Resource Management Division created the
Eggscellence Award--a trophy with an egg on top. An employee can only
keep the trophy for a week and then must pass it on.
Post a thank you note on the employee’s
office door.
Volunteer to do another person’s least
desirable work tasks for a day.
Answer the person’s phone for a day.
Name a continuing recognition award after
an outstanding employee.
Create a "Wall of Fame" with
photos of outstanding employees. Place in a lobby or other high traffic
area.
Make a photo collage of participants on a
successful project that shows who worked on it, the stages of
development, and completion.
Develop a Behind the Scenes Award
specifically for those whose actions are not usually in the limelight
but provide outstanding support.
Make a thank you card by hand.
Give an employee a copy of the latest
best-selling management or business book or a subscription to a
professional journal.
Create colorful stickers that employees
can hand out to co-workers in appreciation for assistance with a
project.
Develop recognition certificates that can
be redeemed for a selection of small items (pens, calendars, desk
organizers, etc.)
At AT&T Universal Card Services in
Jacksonville, FL, they use the World of Thanks award as one of their
recognition programs. It’s a pad of colored paper shaped like a globe
with "thank you" written all over it in different languages.
Anyone in the company can write a message of thanks to anyone else. In
four years they have used 130,000 such notes.
At Southwest Airlines, a pin with the
word ‘WOW" on it is presented to someone who does something
special.
Decorate an old shoe, add a plaque, and
stuff a message for the recipient in it. Call it the "going the
extra mile" award and have each recipient pass it on to another.
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