The Beauty and The Beast of Recognition Part 2 of 3

Tips to turn your recognition process into a BEAUTY and avoid the BEAST.

Today's article gives you suggestions for:

1. Opportunities for recognition

2. Forms of recognition

3. Checklist for your own actions

1. What Are Some Opportunities to Recognize an Individual/Group/Team?

· Successful completion of a project

· Consistent performance over an extended period by a team member

· Commitment to team effort, customers, and/or quality

· Significant improvements in performance

· Special efforts to support a project or program or other team member

· Use of innovation, creativity and/or leadership

You could add many more thoughts to this list - sometimes we have to think about the recognition opportunities - they aren't always obvious. (This is a great topic to involve team members in - "What kinds of things should we be recognizing?")

2. If Recognition Isn’t Just Money, What Are Other Forms of Recognition?

·     Acknowledgement: No money, no plaques, just a simple verbal or written expression of appreciation for a team member’s value or contributions. 

·     Verbal expression or personal exchange: Go the extra distance - convey your interest in team members as individuals, e.g., remembering birthdays, inquiring about favorite hobbies or the health of others’ families, progress the kids are making, etc.

·    Reward: This is a tangible expression of appreciation for a job well done; a gift certificate, dinner reservations for the team member and partner, subscription to a publication the person would enjoy, a check…the list is really endless.

·     Inclusion: Not everyone views this as recognition, but an invitation to participate at a higher level in the organization is a demonstration of trust; designate the team member being recognized to sit in a meeting as your representative or attend a conference. This sends a message of your confidence in the team member and supports his/her professional development.

This is another opportunity to involve team members: It’s very cool to invite your team members to identify recognition ideas – involve them and see where the discussion leads! Other resources for recognition ideas:

Try Bob Nelson’s 1001 Ways to Reward Employees – it’s packed with terrific ideas.

Or Nelson's The 1001 Rewards & Recognition Fieldbook: The Complete Guide

If you're a team leader, answer this handy checklist and decide how much attention you pay to this often-overlooked-opportunity for team member satisfaction.

3. Recognition Checklist

P    Am I, as a team leader, taking advantage of all recognition opportunities?

P    Am I correctly identifying what/whom to recognize?

P    Am I giving recognition on a daily basis, not just for the “home run” events?

P    Did I customize the type of recognition so the team member appreciates the gesture?

P    Did I choose a way to present the recognition so the team member will be comfortable?

P    Did the recognition appropriately match what the team member did?

Question for you: How would you answer all of the above!

Strong Relationships + Solid Leadership = Success for Everyone

Step 6
of
Managing Performance

Provide Recognition & Reward

Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them.
Aristotle

How well do you reinforce behaviors and actions through employee recognition and reward? Employees consistently rate this as a major “dissatisfier” about their jobs feeling over-looked and undervalued.

Do the right things with recognition and enjoy the results – you’ll be amazed at what a motivator sincere, genuine recognition can be - and I said “recognition”, not just “reward”.

To begin, take a look at your own practices based on the statements below – determine whether you’re

• Satisfied with your own performance or
• Not Satisfied with the effort you’re making here

Also decide the Importance of each practice to your success and to your team members’ success.

• I actively look for opportunities to provide recognition.
• I use a variety of "non-cash" approaches to give recognition.
• I practice the following effective recognition-giving techniques:
  - Recognize the steady day-in-day-out good performance of people, not
  only the exceptional top performers.
  - Deliver recognition and reward, when appropriate, in an open and honest
  way.
  - Develop awareness of what types of recognition are most meaningful to people.
  - Creatively individualize recognition where possible.
  - Use a personally comfortable style so acknowledgments of contributions
  feel sincere.
  - Recognize people as soon as possible after the achievement.
  - Specific as to the achievement being recognized.
  

Your team members want and need recognition. Think back to when you were personally recognized for something – how did it feel? Did it give you an extra spark of energy that said, “Someone really sees what I’m doing and they appreciate it?”

Without the genuine pat-on-the-back or its equivalent, team members may not feel valued or appreciated. Checks of Not Satisfied in the quick inventory above could lead to high turnover, team members doing only what is expected and low morale.

Recognizing and rewarding the behavior and performance that we desire in our organizations a sure way to initiate change. Team members will respond favorably, be more highly motivated, exceed job requirements and stay with the organization when they feel their efforts are recognized and rewarded.

Recognition and reward need not always be a check in a dollar amount to be effective! We do tend to associate reward with money, but that need not be the case. What does the person enjoy doing outside work? Tap into those interests and several outcomes can be realized:

• you learn more about the person
• the relationship strengthens
• trust begins to develop
• the word on you is that you care about people and results

Some simple ideas that aren't a check: get a magazine subscription, a dinner for the team member and guest, gift certificate to a favorite store, compensatory time off, sitting in with you in a higher level meeting (yes, that’s recognition for some people!), taking on a project they want to spearhead, a good word to others in the organization and to the team member, a personal note, a mention at a team meeting or just a quiet positive comment.

Team leaders who look for people who are "doing it right" and recognize that type of performance or behavior with a will create a positive work environment where people will feel valued and committed. And if you involve your team members in identifying ideas for providing recognition, you’ll be amazed at the range of suggestions!

Praising or expressing appreciation for employees on a regular basis can enhance employee engagement and be as effective as a cash award, according to a recent Forbes article.

Plus, it doesn't cost employers a thing.

The key, the author writes, is to express appreciation specifically as opposed to just saying something like, "Great job, Joe!"

You'd have to then wonder why more than three-fourths of employees in the United States received little or no recognition from their managers in 2009, as a recent study pointed out.

Is recognition part of the culture of your organization? Why or why not and what results are you seeing?

Here are some resources to help you Provide Recognition and Reward

ProStar Coach - the People Skills of Encouraging Ideas, Listening, Interacting with the Team and more will help you learn, practice and ingrain techniques for delivering recognition.

The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance by Elton & Gostick.

Another excellent resource for ideas on reward and recognition is the book 1001 Ways to Reward Employees by Bob Nelson.

That concludes the overview of the Managing Performance Process. Having assessed your own management practices, you may have found some areas where personal development would assist in creating a more productive, results-oriented environment.

In what areas do you excel and where do you need to improve organizational or individual practices to best serve your team members and to get best results?

Keep this in mind...This fundamental techniques in this process work in all organizations. People want to know what is expected, how they are performing and to be fairly evaluated and recognized.

A consistent process keeps the organization focused on (1) business results as well as the (2) growth and development of the organization's most important investment and asset, the people.

Be more aware of yourself -- look into your mirror - check your own practices and attributes. As a leader, be knowledgeable about what people expect and
how well you provide that leadership

.