100+ Recognition Ideas

A man doesnt live by bread alone. He needs buttering up once in a while. Robert H. Henry

1. Start each day by saying Good Morning to your staff and co-workers. Remember to say the persons name EVERY time you interact with them. 2. Send an email motivation quote or thought for day to start day on a positive note. 3. Send each of your staff members or co-workers a BIRTHDAY CARD! A birthday is a persons special day. Take the time to give a birthday card. I diary my staffs birthdays in computer calendar, so I never forget. I provided gifts when I had fewer staff. If you have time, recognize work anniversary or other key milestones. People appreciate it. 4. Make Recognition Timely. 5. Make Recognition Specific. 6. Make Recognition Meaningful for the individual. 7. Make the reward fit the contribution. 8. Make Recognition Sincere. 9. Give every employee a business card. They can be quickly and inexpensively created on a computer. Allow each person to customize their work business card with a quote or a statement on the back of the business card that defines him or her as a unique human being and not just a number at your company.
I have learned to imagine an invisible sign around each persons neck that say, Make me feel IMPORTANT! --Mary Kay Ash

10. Create a recognition database for each of your employees or co-workers. I maintain information like birth date, hire date, spouse/significant others name, children names, hobbies, things the person does to relax, things they do for fun. Then you can reward each person with something that is meaningful to him or her. 11. Quiz staff for motivation pointers When talking with co-workers or staff ask them, Why do you like your job? Whats makes you come to work every day? Their answers will give you clues about their intrinsic motivationand what you can do to reinforce it. 12. Send handwritten notes to employees (and customers) on a daily basis. Ensure that every manager, including the CEO, has a supply of thank you notes and card has their desk. Get in the habit of not leaving the office until you complete a note or thank you. 13. Have an office or department Recognition Bulletin Board. Let staff put up their notes from customers, certificates of achievement, etc. Im in my forties, my mom still posts my articles, news clippings and achievements on the refrigerator to show my success. I use my fridge as a place for family & friend photos and achievements!

Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

14. Keep a record of company and department achievements Folks love scrapbooking and photos. Let them capture your organization and/or department events, activities and achievements. 15. Recognition is everyones job. Ensure that part of your reward program includes peer to peer recognition. These program go by several namesDisney uses Good Show, Westamerica Graphics uses COPSan acronym for Catching Other People Succeeding. Add greater depth to these programs by having them in duplicate or triplicate with a copy going to their supervisor and Personnel File. Provide a monthly drawing providing small gifts to one of the individuals who was recognized by their peer and another drawing for one of the employees who took the time to recognize a co-worker! Reward those recognizing others! 16. Amp up your recognition efforts Quint Studer, author of Hardwiring Excellence suggests asking senior level managers to recognize your employee too. This is a way to get your VP or CEO to write the employee a congratulatory note. We invite recipients of our significant employee awards to our board meeting. This public recognition empowers both staff and Board members. 17. Start every staff meeting with 5 10 minutes of staff sharing accomplishments. Its a great way to get folks to meetings on time. 18. End each staff meeting with 5 10 minutes of staff recognition. Its a great tactic to ensure that meeting end on time and people stay to the end. 19. Individualize rewards Some workers may be thrilled with a box of chocolates. But an employee who is on a diet or allergic to chocolate isnt going to appreciate this gesture. A reward is only a reward if its something the person values. Be sensitive to the diverse needs of your staff. 20. Remember the Platinum Rule. Treat others the way they want to treated. Recognize others the way they want to be recognized. Successful recognition is in the eye of the receiver, not the giver. 21. Remember to say THANK YOU frequently. I believe these are the most important two words in people management. There is nothing better than a good, sincere, look en in the eyes thank you. I start my performance appraisals with thank you to each employee for their annual contribution and end with a thank you for continuing to work for us.
There are high spots in all of our lives and most of them have come through encouragement from someone else. ---George Adams

22. Lend an Ear. Employees want to have a voice. Listen to them. Ask them how to make the company better. Ask them how you can help them be more successful. 23. Provide opportunities for staff members to have a voice. Selecting them for visible projects or committees are great methods to achieve this.

Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

24. Reward with special education. Talented staff are looking to develop for future career opportunities. Supporting and paying for attendance at workshops, leadership development seminars or national conference will have a much longer impact and provide greater loyalty than a simple cash payout. When providing development opportunities to others, you are not only demonstrating you recognize their potential, but you are contributing them for future success. 25. Develop employees through delegation. Everyone wants to grow and develop. Are there projects that you have on your desk that you could delegate to a staff member to increase his/her skills. Learn which staff are interested in additional, challenging work assignments to evolve professionally. And start with some of your own work. Remember good delegation includes providing clear direction, providing authority, along with the responsibility; be available for questions and follow-up to ensure the employee will complete the project/work successfully. 26. Expand your motivational vocabulary. Great job! Excellent effort! Nice work! Expand your positive vocabulary to make it meaningful and relevant. Use descriptive adjectives such as effective, innovative, powerful, professional and significant. Refer to the 100+ Phrases of Praise handout for inspiration. 7 27. Practice your Non-verbal communication. Use positive, non-verbal recognition gestures like thumbs up, high fives, applause, pat on the back, congratulatory hand shakes or standing ovations. These simple actions not only acknowledge other, but help spread contagious enthusiasm around the workplace. 28. Increase positive feedback in your department. To combat the feeling that some employees have that they are only providing negative or constructive feedback, remember to provide frequent positive feedback (remember it should be specific, timely and genuine and focused on behavior and performance). A good rule of thumb is to give 3-5 compliments for every constructive feedback comment.
Blessed is the person who has the passion to learn, the heart to lead and the wisdom to share. ---David Pease

29. Encourage staff to become visionaries Ask staff to describe what theyd like the company to be in five years. Pool the answers to create a picture of everyones dream company. Then brainstorm how your department could contribute to achieving that goal. Finally, come up with projects to make the dream a reality. 30. Preserve company legends and success stories on videotape. The art of storytelling is becoming a lost skills.it is so important to create and maintain your unique corporate culture. 31. Share the wealth of client perks Everybody loves free stuffincluding your employees. So if your customers or vendors send you a few product samples or give-away gifts or goodies, make sure to share with your staff. Getting giftseven freebieswill brighten morale. 32. Get senior leaders involved in recognition. Serve breakfast. Deliver fruit. Walk around and thank a team when they exceeded department goals. Building relationship and trust with top management will bring you a long way in improving employee engagement.

Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

33. Be accessible. The more visible and the attention leaders pay to employees, the more important they feel. 34. Ask people what motivates them. A simple question that many managers never askWhen you do a good job, how do you like to be recognized? Since recognition is underutilized, you may need to give options. 35. Look around for motivation clues Running out of ideas for low-cost motivators? Take a look around. Are employees struggling to make do with inadequate supplies? Take a visit or provide a gift card to the office-supply store may work wonders. Staff complaining about high gas and food prices.nothing like stocking up on gas and grocery cards for spot awards when someone goes over and above. 36. Behaviors that get reinforced get repeated. Just ask BF Skinnerthis is human behavior 101. So reward desired behaviors! 37. Boost creativity with a little green Employees get more creative when they see green. If you are thinking dollars, youre wrong., A study showed creativity is increased when you add plants and flowers into the workplace. 10 38. Make a regular date for team-building fun. Teams work together, but they need to play together. Plan a meal or BBQ or shopping trip. 39. Provide more flexibility. Balancing work and everything else is getting more difficult for all levels of employees. Provide as much flexibility for staff to get some extra sleep, take care of an errand, attend a childs event.it will improve staff health and retention. 40. Small step in reducing work stress. NIOSH reports that job stress occurs when job requirements dont match workers capabilities, resources, or emotional needs. Even if you cant lighten the load, you can try to offer adequate job training, provide the necessary tools, and give them a pat on the back. 41. Laugh often and have more fun at work. Research shows that a fun work environment has a positive impact on productivity, service and job satisfaction. Lighten up! Check up Dave Hemsaths 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work.
We believe a fun atmosphere builds a strong sense of community. It also counterbalances the stress of work and competition. --Libby Sartain, Southwest Airlines

42. Fun through creativity. Add a quote, cartoon or seasonal reminder to email, memos and fax cover sheets. Make them a little more interesting and give staff a chance to use a little creativity. 43. Lead the way in work/life balance You need to model healthy behavior. Take lunch. Walk at breaks. Take vacation. Dont work your life away. Encourage work/life balance, be careful not to discourage it (I see this happening all the time in organizations).

Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

44. Engage in strategic recognition Effective recognition programs focus on core business strategy, vision and values. Also link your recognition programs to your strategic goals. Reference the Sebasticook Valley Hospitals Pinnacle and Pillar of Excellence handout from the presentation. 45. Walk the Talk Give people respect, responsibility, honesty, trust and cooperation to recognize them as talented human beings. Chances are these may represent your organizational values. Sometimes the most meaningful gift to your staff comes from just walking the talk. 46. Prioritize what your company values to guide your recognition. In Managing with Carrots by Gostick and Elton, they suggest that organizations look at a variety of common areas companies reward staff: a. Attendance. Good attendance demonstrates a strong work ethic. Beware the ramifications of FMLA, ADA, W/C absences in this type of program. b. Safety. Rewarding safe behaviors demonstrates your concern for staff welfare. c. Service. Loyalty and tenure is valuable for business continuity, not becoming rarer. d. Sales. The most obvious recognition programs focus on improving the bottom line. e. Performance. Dont overlook employees significant contributions or achievements. 20 47. Put your Money where Your Promises Are Create a service guarantee for your department. For example, "If you're not seen in our emergency room in 20 minutes, your visit is free!" This guarantee will differentiate you from your competition and will build team pride as every employee commits to meeting the promise. 48. Hold em Accountable. If you are creating a recognition culture, remember to include in your managers performance appraisal and bonus programs. Include in your employee engagement surveysfind out who is and who isnt reaching your vision. 49. Give em Food. Free food motivates every time. With a heavy organizational push on health and wellness, we continue to offer food, but try to keep it more focused on the healthy variety.its amazing how receptive folks are to Fresh Popcorn, free water, yogurt bars and Fresh fruit runs.
Mr. Scorpio say productivity is up 2%, and its all because of my motivational techniques, like donutsand the possibility of more donuts to come! --Homer Simpson

50. Walk it Off At one company I created the 100-mile Walk Club. We provided an incentive for anyone who walked 100 miles during the summer months to encourage wellness. To encourage folks to reach this challenging goal, I would walk with those participating during our meetings. We got exercise, we accomplished business and we all became members of the 100 Mile Club. 51. Garner employee loyalty through acts of kindness In Contented Cows Give Better Milk, by Bill Catlette he told the story of Thong Lee, a laundry worker at the Seattle Marriott. When Lees mother died, his boss closed down the hotels laundry for an entire day so the staff could attend the funeral. Showing kindness to workers in their darkest hours demonstrates your humanityand earns their loyalty.
Take the time to provide heartfelt appreciation to those around you often. This small act of kindness will immediately leave an imprint on their spirits and can forever change your destiny. --David Pease

Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

52. Pay it Forward Ideas.

Move 10 coins from pocket to the other side each time that you provide a compliment to someone. Carry your SVH Coin pocket with you. Create a company mascot. Award it to a team that had business success. Rotate it around the company to identify a recent top performing department. Buy an Achievement trophy. Provide it to an excellent performer. The person must pass the trophy to another employee they catch doing something great.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --George Carlin

53. Dont confuse recognition with perks. You bring bagels to staff meetings or have all staff over to your house for a Lobster bake. Certainly folks will appreciate these efforts. But those perks are given to everyone. Recognition is about acknowledging individual achievement. The biggest fallacy about recognition is that we need to treat everyone the same. Whats fair about treating poor workers the same as your top performers? 54. FOCUS ON STRENGTHS Use the 80/20 Rule. Spend 80% of your time reinforcing whats going right and 20% of your time fixing whats wrong. 55. Company Pick Me Up Day You cant take one more dreary winter day. Have a company poster pick me up party. Create signs that promote company's values with bold graphics and bright colors. You will discover talent you did not know existed, plus you will also create a climate of delight. Tom Peters says if your hallways are boring, chances are everything your company does is boring! Ouch! 56. Your Inner Interior Designer Take a look at your office -- what does it say about you? Always display in your office one or two reminders of things you really love. Not only will it give you comfort during difficult times, it will also help others to connect with you more quickly. 57. Remember all your employees in recognition efforts. As much as I try to include all the shifts, multi locations, employment statuses, it seems like someone is left out. Be sensitive to be all-inclusive as often as possible. When we have a free breakfast at the hospital, we send a muffin and juice basket to the remote locations. When we make fresh popcorn, we send microwave popcorn to the offices. 58. Gamble with rewards. Add a little fun and risk when giving small prizes for a job well done. Have the recognized person sign a roulette wheel or roll giant dice to determine the gift they will receive. 59. Give em a fortune jar. Sometimes we need a little pick me up. I have a jar of good fortunes, minus the goods with wonderful, uplifting thoughts.
Your life will be filled with much prosperity and appreciation.

60. Celebrate holidays year-round Create contests to celebrate holidays. Poetry writing for Valentines. Costume design for Halloween. Door decorating for December. Best picnic recipes for July 4th.
Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

61. Showcase staff talents through contests (photo, cooking, gardening). Spread a little holiday cheerand help workers earn some extra spending money? Organize a holiday craft fair. Allow employees to display and sell their handmade crafts to colleagues. 62. Add a little Hollywood to work. Have a sales contest during the month of January. Identify the top performers and nominate in Oscar Categories (Best Male Performance, Best Female Performance, Most Creative Approach). In conjunction with the Oscars, have a Company Oscars. Encourage staff to wear formal wear. Roll out a red carpet at the entrance of your company. Have a Awards Ceremony at lunch with photographs and funny thank you speeches. 63. Create the work Olympics. Provide various work contests and hand out Gold, Silver and Bronze medals with podiums and music. Add authenticity with Olympic trivia contests, torch ceremony. Bring the world into your company. Identify your champions! Have fun! 64. If you need to provide financial rewards, link them to specific required work. I am a big proponent of Employee Referral bonuses and Employee Suggestion bonuses.
Employees need the satisfaction that comes with knowing that what they are doing with their lives counts for something meaningful.

65. CARE Package Small acts of kindness have the greatest impact when people are at their lowest. When employeesor family membersare in the hospital, take a moment to call, send a card or send flowers. Barbara Glanz has termed them C.A.R.E. Packages. 66. Give gifts that keep on giving Reward staff with Education Dollars to redeem for professional development. 67. Use career interviews to retain your workers Re-recruit your top employees. Sit down with them once or twice a year. Sit down to chat about their goals, aspirations and whether their expectations are being met. These career interviews are a good way to reconnect with your staff. 68. Have faith to boost performance Anyone whos seen My Fair Lady understands the Pygmalion effect: People live up to others expectations. So if you want employees to perform to their reach optimal potential, you need to communicate your faith in their ability. And remember, the reverse is also true: If you dont expect muchyou wont get much.
Appreciative words are the most powerful force for good on earth. --George Crane

50 69. Emphasize people, not position Jim Croce once declared in song, Ive got a name. And its a good lyric to remember when introducing your employees to others. This is our receptionist or Meet our accountant. implies people are less important than their jobs. The right introduction can make staff feel like a valued team member. 70. Build enthusiasm for product launches One Spring a former company announced a new sales campaign. It was based on a baseball theme, Play Ball. We had a kick off Spring Training, everyone receiving baseball items. All

Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

summer long we published scorecard and stats of our sales campaigns. Individuals who were top producers won Red Sox tickets and other baseball themed gifts. In the Fall we had our World Series. It was the most successful sales campaign the company ever had. 71. Encourage workers to encourage each other Many people have trouble tooting their own horn. Let others say good things about them. At a meeting give set a set of index card. Ask them to put a name of the one of their co-workers on each card and to list 1 or 3 strengths of that person. People appreciate and often surprised the good qualities others see in them. 72. Give workers a hand. Want to reward your busy staff.cater dinner for them. Hire someone to clean their house. Have someone run errands or pick up cleaning. Help folks with lifes little must dos. 73. Plant seeds of accountability and motivation will bloom There are several studies that show when management gives staff authority to sign off on their own purchase requests, that they spend less money on office supplies. Trust staff to do the right thing when you believe in them. 74. Leave a legacy.give a gift of a memorable mentor to top performers.
Along the way, people planted seeds in my soul and spirit that added stones to the foundation I was trying to form during my journey ---Lisa Fain

75. Plan ahead for a personal holiday gifts I try to share a little bit of my personal talent a make or create a gift or ornament for my staff. If I dont find time to do this, I like to buy inspirational books with a personalized inscription to keep folks focused on how special they are and how they can make a difference! 76. Give workers a hand for lending a hand Give staff time off to perform community service. Then applaud them when they return to work to recognize their community efforts. 77. Create Recognition Tool boxes for your managers with a variety of pins, stickers and other fun things to give quick SPOT awards to deserving staff. 78. Give certificates and inexpensive trophies for excellent efforts.
A solider will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon. --Napoleon

79. Make recognition an everyday occurrence 80. Managers should be trained in Motivation theories to leverage recognition efforts. 81. Managers and HR must ensure that the formal company reward and recognition program are utilized to there fullest. 82. Provide ongoing training to managers on Recognition techniques and best practices.
People dont care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

83. Start the presses. Write a press release and send to the media on your staff recognition. This level of public recognition makes it extra special. 84. Include the family. We invite family members to key company awards. We encourage staff to bring a guest to the annual awards banquet to share in the celebration.

85. Make it a Double.

If you give folks two of something they generally will share one at work and one at home. The gratitude for good work expands when other gain personally from it. Ive always been a sucker for attention! --Cuba Gooding, Jr.

86. Celebrate educational success

If staff development is an organizational priority, reward and recognize it. 7 87. Manage problems by setting a positive tone When you spend most days putting out fires, it can be tempting to look at the negatives. But you need to set a positive tone. Approach problems by asking them these questions: What can we do to fix this? What are the benefits of this situation? What can we learn from this experience? What can we prevent reoccurrence in the future?
Im slowly becoming a convert to the principle that you cant motivate people to do things, you can only demotivate them. The primary job of a manager is not to empower but to remove obstacles. Scott Adams, Dilbert cartoonist

88. Reward workers who remain cool under fire When I worked at a call center and a phone customer service rep kept their composure during a difficult phone with a challenging customer. They received Cool Under Fire recognition. We provided them with a popsicle or ice cream treat as a reward. 90 89. Inspire workers to be good to one another Tired of mediating employee conflicts? Issue a challenge: Treat your coworkers like internal customers. Agree on a list of must-do behaviors for interacting with customerssuch as saying Please and Thank you, be responsive and ask you can be of further assistance. Offer a small reward to the worker voted as the best service provider for the week. 90. Put RECOGNITION in your calendar on a weekly basis and take action. 91. Leave a voice mail recognition message at night or over the weekend to start the employees next day off on a great start. 92. Send an animated email card. Youve got mail! 93. Send a bouquet of balloons or flowers for special recognition.
I can live for two months on one good compliment! --Mark Twain

Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

94. Make ordinary tasks an avenue for EXTRAORDINARY Recognition For instance, manager hands out the paychecks and thanks everyone for their dedication. We have a 2nd level of manager sign off on appraisal. Rather than just sign my name on my managers appraisalsI write a personal note to the employee commenting on aspects of their performance. It means a lot to people. 95. Put an emphasis on Recognition Use exxxxxxxxxtraordinary exagggggggggggggggerated word in informal written communication to recognize EXCEPTIONAL results and GRRRRRRRRREAT performance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 96. Give em a LEG up! Use this simple acronym, LEG, to provide recognition correctly and easily. Explain specifically what they did well. Give them a great big Thank You! 97. Enrich the job. Every survey shows that stimulating, meaningful work is the most important work motivator, yet we give folks some extra menial tasks and think thats it. Continue to evolve positions of high potential staff to give them more variety, ability to do higher skill or more visible work and give them lots autonomy and feedback!
Compensation is a right; recognition is a gift. --Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Look them in the eye.

98. Build a Recognition Team. Employees and managers will have more buy-in if they are designing and evolving the programs. Provide ongoing training and communication to the group. Get good cross functional representation and keep the group rotating to maximum new ideas. A senior leader should be a liaison to the group to ensure that the companys recognition is linked to the strategic priorities and support the bottom line. This teams work should be in the strategic plan and have an operating budget.
The best way to inspire people to superior performance is to convince them by everything you do and by your everyday attitude that you support them. --Harold Geneen

99. Create a Brand or a Theme for your Recognition program. Whether you want to use Shining Star, Top Banana or Youre a Gemlink your different recognition programs together with a theme or a logo or a similar awards. 100. Create a Recognition newsletter. Share your Staffs Success. 101. Survey staff on what they think about Recognition and respond to it.
There are two things people want more than sex and moneyRecognition & Praise. --Mary Kay Ash

102. Evaluate your Recognition regularly. Are you achieving desired results? Are the right people being recognized? Is the money you spending a good return on investment? Like any other HR function, recognition should be continually reviewed to improve and enhance.
Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

103. Keep your Recognition current and fun! How often have you seen a great recognition program suddenly become boring? Go back to the basics, make sure the reward is timely, specific, meaningful, personal and proportional. Sometimes you need to re-introduce and program. And other times, it has run its course and it is time to move on to a more effective system. 104. Celebrate successthen move on Never miss an opportunity to celebrate successes, no matter how small. Then move to the next challenge and celebrate we you achieve desired results. 105. End each day on a positive note Its important to end each day on a positive note. Just before quitting time on days when things have been tense, send out an e-mail joke, let workers leave early, or find some other way to lighten the mood.
If someone were to pay you 10 cents for every kind word you ever spoke and collect 5 cents for every unkind word, would you be rich or poor? Author unknown

And 100 more ideas.. Take a picnic ~ Have a staff BBQ ~ Serve lunch to staff ~ Roll out the Red carpet to new staff or top performers ~ Open Door Policy ~ Take a Photo & put in a Frame Employee of the Month ~ Give em a shirt or a mug to commemorate a business milestone ~ Give em a day off ~ Give them their birthday off with pay ~ Let them leave early ~ Wash their car ~ Pay for a limo or child care so they can do on a date with spouse or significant other ~ Address poor performers ~ Ask top talent to sub for you at meeting or when you are out of the office ~ Give em a title (it doesnt cost anything) ~ Put them in charge of a project ~ Lend a Hand ~ Plant a tree or flower in their honor ~ Make a donation in their name ~ Pay for a magazine of their choice ~ Pizza party ~ Recognition Box (let them give themselves a gift as a pick me up) ~ Wall of Fame ~ Get them a coffee when youre out ~ Send a postcard or bring back a small gift when youre on vacation ~ Put their name in Lights ~ Retire their Jersey ~ Give meaningful Service Award gifts (not taxable), not a year pin ~ Put their name on the message board ~ Have your weekly 1-on-1 meeting on the golf course ~ Give em a lottery ticket ~ Give em recognition buttons ~ Give them Play $ (to cash in for free lunches or perks) ~ Give em a discount (with your company vendorsphone, internet, food, oil) ~ Bake em some cookies ~ Have a Potluck Lunch ~ Create a Company cookbook ~ Create an employee lounge or quiet space ~ Create a recognition screen saver ~ Give em a Kazoo Salute ~ Challenge another department to a softball game or bowling ~ Attend their childs play or ball game ~ Give em a flashlight or emergency car kit (Shining the light on Recognition ~ Celebrate funky National Observances ~ Declare a Recognition day ~ Declare Positive Feedback Only Day ~ Give em a gym membership or discount ~ You Deserve a Hand (Clapping Hands) Award ~ You Measure Up Award (Tape Measure) ~ Give em a medal or trophy ~ Create MVP Trading Card ~ Let staff use Do Not Disturb Signs (and a break off the phone) when they are working on an important, time sensitive project ~ Hold quarterly employee communication meetings ~ Surprise others ~ Give em seeds in the Spring and see who can grow the largest pumpkin contest in the Fall ~ Massages ~ Aromatherapy ~ Replace the industrial bathroom soap with nice soaps & lotions ~ A Fun Day ~ Dress Down Days ~ Dress Up Days ~ Costume Party Day ~ Wear your favorite T-Shirt to Work (and explain why) ~ Send em an email on Friday afternoons announcing all the good news for the week ~ Play music ~ Watch a comedy during lunch ~ Company Lending Library ~ Talent Show ~ Dance Off ~ Use talented
Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition

staff to entertain for your company events ~ Encourage a Scrabble game during lunch ~ Clean Out your Files Day ~ Clean Up your Computer Day ~ Get Food Delivered ~ IOUs ~ Give em Company Logo gifts ~ Call their Mom to inform of employee being recognized ~ Bring your children to Work ~ Bring your pet to Work ~ Put your Recognition on your website for all to see ~ This is Your Life for retiring staff ~ Client visits ~ Free Ride to Work ~ Company Picnic ~ Holiday Party ~ Formal Recognition ~ Informal Recognition ~ Peer to Peer recognition ~ Manger to Staff recognition ~ Staff to Manager recognition ~ Boss Day ~ Employee Day ~ Employee Appreciation Week ~ Lifesaver Award ~ Ring a Bell whenever someone does something beyond expectations ~ Safety Award for days without a W/C lost day ~ Learn Something New Day ~ Be Spontaneous ~ Be Unpredictable ~ Show & Tell Day ~ People Choice Award ~ Bring in a Life or Career Coach ~ Plant a Garden ~ Book Club ~ Knitting or Basket Making at Lunch ~ Send a thank you basket to a department that helps your department ~ Write positive comments in the parking lot with chalk ~ Paper Airplane Tournament ~ Paid session with a Financial Planner ~ Plane Tickets ~ Paid Weekend Vacation ~ Gas and Phone Cards ~ Work at Home option ~ Pie Sale before Thanksgiving ~ Suggestion Box ~ Take out an ad to recognize your staff ~ Share staff recognition with clients ~ Let employee recognize customers ~ Host a hike ~ Show a slideshow of the last Employee event ~ Update an employees chair or equipment ~ Hold frequent 5 minute huddles with staff to keep them in the loop ~ Ensure your meetings are worthwhile and allows 2way dialogue ~ Written Praise ~ Public Praise ~ Frequent Praise ~ Praise Board ~ Get good staff to be mentors and trainers for new staff (give em a bonus) ~ Team rewards ~ Creating Team Spirit ~ Foster autonomy ~ Employee Ownership ~ Share in the financial wealth~ Encourage creativity ~ Create a customer oriented culture ~ Focus staff on Team success (eliminate cries of unfairness) ~ Allow staff to recruit their replacement when promoted ~ Career Development ~ Games and Contests to Boost Morale ~ Company Perks ~ Fun & More Fun ~ Celebrations ~ ~ And the list should incrementally grow and evolve at your organization ~

Great people are those who make others feel that they, too, can become great. --Mark Twain

David Pease is the Vice President of Human Resources at Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield, Maine and an Adjunct Faculty member at Thomas College in Waterville. He can be reached at dpease@emh.org or (207) 487-5141, Ext. 220.

THANK YOU for attending the session...pass pearls of recognition on to others!

Compiled by David Pease, SPHR for 2008 Maine HR Convention GREAT JOB!!: Putting Emphasis on Staff Recognition