Managers of organizational recognition practices and recognition
programs are often torn between focusing on growth of people or on
business results.
You’ll find some organizations create elaborate people strategies
to prepare for the growth and development of their employees. Talent management
strategies prepare now for the future. And recognition is always a part of the
equation, especially when measuring employee engagement.
Then there are others who are strictly business. Their goal is to
align recognition and rewards with helping to drive and achieve the strategic
initiatives of their business goals.
So, the question is whether, as the owner of recognition in
your organization, should you focus on people of the business?
One of the four criteria for the different
levels on our Recognition Maturity Model is the variable of consistency.
If there is one thing, I hear all the time
from recognition managers and program administrators; they hope to have more
people consistently recognizing employees. And they also speak of wanting
greater consistency of recognition across all areas of the organization, be
that by departments or geographic locations.
Consistency is so important that is even
one criterion on our Recognition Maturity Model, which you can learn more about
here.
But what do we mean by giving consistent
recognition? How can you make this happen across your organization?
In a recent recommendations list for dealing with the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, I mentioned the need to “remember to celebrate” your many new employees working from home. Whether birthdays, career milestones, or going above and beyond, along with the display of incredible resiliency of so many employees, there’s always so much to celebrate with our employees. And remember to thank and recognize others who assist you in your daily work and life in general.
How to celebrate employees effectively from a
distance and those around you is not always easy, but it is always possible. To
stimulate some celebration ideas for you, consider the following list.
While many companies have moved to a work
from home way
of life for the immediate future, we still have companies that are proceeding
with business. These helpful actions are a good way to keep your employees
healthy and your business running strong during a health crisis,
no matter where they are working from.
Keep employees more informed. Update employees through your company’s intranet website—it’s a single place to find important organizational information.
Actively encourage sick employees to stay home. Since health authorities think the virus mainly spreads person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people, encourage sick employees to stay at home and consult their doctor, no matter how minor the symptoms are.
Go virtual for your meetings. To lessen the number of close contact meetings, consider going more virtual with on-line or teleconference meetings. Many leading tech companies are providing free access to their software so people can connect during this time.
Create telecommute options, where possible. If work functions fit and circumstances such as high geographic incidence rates raise a high risk for contracting COVID-19, offer employees the option to work from home.
Practice healthy living. Promote healthy habits by encouraging employees to follow guidelines from the CDC, WHO, and local health authorities, etc.
Purchase supplies. Try to keep your facilities stocked with tissues, soap, and anti-bacterial cleansers to help employees practice healthy living and reduce spread.
Use regular email communications. Send out email communications reminding employees of the right and wrong things to be doing like avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth to prevent spread of germs.
If someone should get the Coronavirus. Be prepared to have the communication channels available and use managers to inform your entire workforce immediately on how to mitigate risk.
Show caring concern. Send a get-well card and/or gift basket to your ill employee to let them know you care since no one plans on catching the flu.
Signs for the times. Post signs in restrooms, throughout office or common areas reminding all to wash their hands and wiping down their workstations frequently.
Trying to accept this new “normal” is difficult. However, businesses that have a strategy, keep the lines of communication open, and understand the ever-changing impacts of positive actions, will weather this storm.
Recognition Reflection: What special steps are you taking for dealing with the COVID-19 virus and helping your employees?
Roy is no longer writing new content for this site (he has retired!), but you can subscribe to Engage2Excel’s blog as Engage2Excel will be taking Roy’s place writing about similar topics on employee recognition and retention, leadership and strategy.
I
was just scrolling through some questions people asked me at the HRPA
Conference in Toronto this past January.
One person asked a question that represents the standard thinking
of many people. They wanted to know how to create a culture of recognition. The
audience there heard my thoughts. Now I want to share them with you.
First off. Please do not create a culture of recognition.
Your
supervisors have more influence on your operational success and on employee
engagement than any other group of people in your organization.
They are the first-level initiators for implementing
strategic goals, even if they don’t have all the authority to make everything
happen.
But one thing is for sure, supervisors interact with
your employees every single day. They have the greatest opportunity to observe
and recognize the amazing things employees do.
And that’s why you need to make sure supervisors know
how to recognize staff well.
Your recognition program has just gone live. But
for how long will it last?
How do you make recognition programs last?
Making recognition and reward programs last over the long term requires an
open-mindedness to the ongoing transformation of your programs.
It’s about looking for ongoing change and
constant quality improvement. Maybe breaking things even when they’re not even
broken.
But foremost, it’s about creating the future and
meeting the ongoing demands of managers and employees and evolving the
recognition experience.
Saying thank you to someone
should be a wonderful expression and witness of our sincere appreciation and
gratitude for a person and/or something they have done for us or others.
But what if the speaker of
thanks is being manipulative with those two words that many of us long to hear?
How do you know if they spoke the words with authenticity? Are they meaningful?
Let’s first examine what the
words “thank you” mean.
