User:Amnuai/Recognition programs

Why is Recognition Important?

It has been widely accepted that people have an inherent need to be recognized and that genuine recognition is a far stronger motivator than money. Employees who are recognized for their contributions will be even more committed to helping the organization meet its goals.

Recognition shows them that their individual and collective contributions make a difference and are valued. Praise is a very effective and inexpensive management tool, and should be used extensively. But make sure your praise is genuine!

Be aware of the impact of those “little things”

Motivated and enthusiastic staff and employees are the key elements of all successful organizations. However, never assume that a good compensation plan is all that is required to achieve your corporate goals and objectives.

Quite often it is the little things in the work place that determine the productivity and growth you seek. These “little things” like appropriate employee appreciation and genuine, timely words of thanks, can have a major impact. Companies with well constructed and effectively implemented employee recognition programs are reaping the huge benefits of a happy and productive work place.

Please note that compensation is a “right” whereas recognition is a “gift”. Careful evaluation of any award programs is also essential as it is critical to understand the difference between “reward” and “recognition.”

Recognition creates role models and heroes for your organization whether it be a large corporate or a small family business. So lets get started and I hope you find this series of articles helpful and stimulating.

What are the Key Targets of a World Class Recognition Program?

The "targets" of any recognition system are the kinds of behaviors and outcomes which the recognition system is designed to reinforce.

For a world-class recognition program the targets can be seen as a logical extension of the broader concept of the "learning organization". In order to create and develop with change a company must be a continual “learning organization”.

Be acutely aware, if your organization is not continually learning then it has already started to die!

Groups of Behavior to Recognize

In particular there are three groups of behavior which many organizations, aware of the critical importance of continuous learning, seek to recognize:

•Creating Knowledge - identifying new opportunities, developing them, and implementing them (at our cooperative we encourage and publicly recognize all innovative natural dyeing techniques or creative pattern making concepts)

•Transforming Knowledge - outstanding teamwork and/or collaboration with clients (great teamwork is a critical component of our cooperative)

•Knowledge - supporting, coaching, facilitating other employees to achieve higher performance, and/or ensuring that knowledge is transferred and used

The three classes of behavior identified will be examined from 2 viewpoints:

1.Internal consistency and reliability – i.e. do the categories fit together and "make sense" in and of themselves

2.Capacity to relate behaviors to tangible categories

Internal Consistency

Careful examination of many freely available senior management survey results indicates that teamwork is important - in itself. It isn't "knowledge" as such that is the focus but, more importantly, it is the processes (performance management, empowerment) and structures (e.g. team structures) that spread knowledge. These have been identified as the key targets for recognition.

Confusion and misunderstandings will occur if these underlying concepts are not successfully translated into clear, tangible, selection criteria. Always try to make the link between the corporate outcomes you seek and the behavior you recognize, absolutely crystal clear.

There are 4 "drivers" for the development of a learning organization. It must be stressed that these are not theoretical categories but tested, tangible indicators of progress in any learning organization, and they make sense in our current turbulent environment. Not taking these “drivers” into consideration will spell disaster for any recognition program and in the long run, for the organization itself.

Relating Behaviors to Tangible Categories

These 4 key “drivers” or categories are also directly related to some of the major concerns of business owners. The categories are:

1.Strategic Climate: The degree to which management ensures that employees are aware of their strategic position and their specific role in the success of the company; and can act on the basis of this awareness with customers, suppliers and other teams.

2.Learning Climate: The degree to which employees can, and do, participate actively in learning

3.Work Climate: The degree to which management and non management create a work climate which encourages teamwork, information sharing, customer focus and a high degree of alignment between corporate direction, goals and performance measures.

One key issue here is to overcome the tendency to hoard information. For some people information is power. However, your organization will suffer if knowledge and learning does not permeate all levels of your business. Of course, the knowledge spread must be applicable to the role and responsibility of the people concerned. Just make sure your management staff are not treating their subordinates like mushrooms!

4.This is a fancy way of saying the amount of control and responsibility that is handed down by management. It is the degree to which management enables employees to make decisions and act effectively on the basis of their understanding of their roles and tasks. Simple lesson - allow people to make mistakes or they will never learn anything!