The Importance of Positive Recognition

Question for you: Do you notice the connection between recognition and behavior?

When a person is recognized, they will respond negative or positively.

Two examples of recognition:

• Please clean up the kitchen - you’re such a pig, you never clean up after yourself. Make sure you leave it clean this time! 
• Please clean up the kitchen - you’re such a great cleaner. The kitchen looks so good after you have cleaned it!

How does each recognition example motivate you?

If it is positive behavior you desire it makes since to focus on and consistently recognize positive behavior.

When we see our peers or co-workers getting recognition we naturally seek the recognition and look for ways to get recognized. However, if recognition isn’t positive people will not be motivated through this method.

Recognition is a very strong motivational tool – but beware it can be a double edge sword. One of our readers experienced this just last week:

“Without warning I wanted to recognize the positive behaviors of the less vocal and less active young people during a group presentation. Without them knowing I jotted down the names of people that were walking around the room, texting and talking during the presentation.

Once the presentation was over, I asked those whose names I had written on my list to stand up - imagine their surprise when I asked them to step aside so the people who were left sitting in the room could be recognized for their good behavior.  Those I asked to stand up thought they were going to be recognized. I had completely overlooked  recognition to the group as a whole by thanking them for being there.

In skipping that step I inadvertently gave negative recognition to the group that I asked to step aside - It was like tossing fuel on a fire. Ouch! Those on the list I called out saw me as not so kind.  Luckily the team was a forgiving group and after I shared my intentions they understood my goal of recognizing positive recognition.”

 

Our reader learned how powerful recognition is and that in public recognition it is vital to RECOGNIZE EVERYONE present positively before recognizing the few chosen for their outstanding behaviors. This will build positive relationships and positive behaviors for the WHOLE group present, including the presenter. 

For more information on improving your employee recognition, visit www.herndonrecognition.com

Leverage Existing Awards

If you are lucky, your organization has some great recognition programs. This means you can kick back and relax, right? Wrong! There is so much you can do to make the awards more meaningful. 

• Announce the award to your entire team.
• It is vital to recognize everyone present, thanking them all for their contributions before honoring the few chosen for this special recognition.
• Send a personalized, congratulatory note to their home.
• If you know the names of the family members, consider including their names in the letter. 
• Plan a celebration after the presentation.
• Celebration can be on or off the work premises.
• Invite the recipient's family.
• If the recipient does not have family nearby invite a close friend.

No matter how wonderful your organization's programs, you can add more meaning!

For more information on how you can maximize your employee recognition program, visit www.herndonrecognition.com

Get Started on the Right Foot

I found an interesting article that makes a great point.  Start your boosting the morale of your employees from day one.  Although it's important to maintain your employee recognition and support with those who already work at your organization, it saves a lot of time and effort when you start off on the right foot with newly hired employees.  Check out this article by Jan Kantor, a Southwest Florida business consultant and executive coach who provides steps in creating a great environment for an employee from the get go.

"Now that we are seeing an uptick in our local economy, hiring also will eventually return. After it does, it may be a good time to share the keys to keeping new employees; setting expectations properly for both the employee and employer with an effective orientation program. Managers are consistently faced with training new people. Many department heads think if only they could get reliable, career-oriented employees, they could quit having to focus on so much job orientation and actually get some work done. What is easily forgotten is maintaining motivation and morale starts from the very beginning..." Read more...

For more information on how to jump-start your employee recognition program, visit www.herndonrecognition.com.

Happy Employee Appreciation Day!

Happy Employee Appreciation Day! Didn't know it was such an important day? Herndon Recognition is here to help!  Here are a few low to no cost ways to let your biggest assets know you appreciate them.  After all, they are what keep your business running right?

• Coffee Break!  Treat your staff to a round of coffee.  Whether you take individual orders or set up a station, it's sure to be a well-received gesture.
• Recognize your employee’s hard work by ending the day a couple hours early.  They will appreciate the extra time, especially being a Friday!
• Give your employees something they can use to make their Friday night even better like giving out free movie vouchers or gift cards to a nearby restaurant.
• Happy Hour:  It’s never too late to offer a happy hour outing to your employees.  They will appreciate the gesture and it’s a good way to bring the team together.

Whatever way you choose to improve your program, your employees will appreciate you for it! For more ideas on improving your employee recognition program, visit us at www.herndonrecognition.com.

Essential Security

Here at Herndon Recognition we never forget our service men and women.   Whether you have a family member or friend in the military, fire department or police force, we understand as much as you do how necessary it is to recognize these heroes with pieces that are created with the utmost quality and care. 

We employ experienced metal-crafters who faithfully produce the images and design elements that make up a custom badge.   From designer board to functional, durable product every piece is crafted to exact specifications and is meant to be worn for a lifetime.   We make sure that our service men and women are as proud to wear our products as we are of what they do for us each and every day.

As well as being a custom manufacture of public and private service badges, we are proud to be an authorized dealer of Blackington Badges.  In being a manufacturer we do not take our job lightly.  With such important pieces of recognition, customers can be confident that they’re working with a company that enforces security and diligence.

For more information about service and security badges, visit www.herndonrecognition.com

Employee Recognition Gone Digital

Not only does Herndon Recognition offer a variety of programs that can create a positive environment in your workplace but we’ve also made it easy for you to implement the program.  We provide a number of ideas and tools to get you going on your program and best of all we take care of the heavy lifting for you so that you have one less thing to worry about on your path to success. 

When putting together your recognition program, we provide you with the option of setting up an online cart system.  Utilization of this program allows your employees to browse and order incentive awards electronically.  Within this cart we provide you the ability to set visibility limitations so that your employees only see the gifts for their particular achievement level. 

Just as the brochures and programs are customized to meet your organization’s needs and budget, the online system works in the same way.  We create a look and feel for the website that is unique to your company and you have the option of including a customized welcome letter.  Just some of the features included are:

•    Unique Product Groups with products within your budget parameters.
•    Unique Shopping Cart URL by request.
•    Order Tracking for Management with the ability to export reports.
•    Unlimited customer service assistance.

The best way to truly understand all that this system can offer is to request a free demonstration.  With the assistance of our team of sales executives you will receive a thorough review of the system as well as additional available options.

For more information on how to jump start your employee recognition program, visit www.herndonrecognition.com.

Share the Love

In light of Valentine’s Day being just around the corner, we thought we’d take you back to grade school when during this holiday, little cards and candies were exchanged among peers.  Remember how excited you got when you saw one of those shiny red cards on your desk?  Although we might be a little older and much busier, that feeling of appreciation for another’s consideration remains. 

Taking the time to write a quick note for a job well done can give your employees the pick me up they need to get through a tiring day.  It doesn’t take much effort and certainly not much money to provide this gesture of gratitude and it can have much more of an impact than just telling a person.  Making it personal can also show the employee that it is coming from a genuine place.  What did they do to earn this special note of appreciation?  Make sure they know that they are a true asset to the team and that their efforts do not go unnoticed.  This will be sure to boost their confidence and give them motivation to keep pushing for excellence.

Thanks to the help of Cindy Ventrice, best-selling author Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works (which can be purchased via our website http://www.herndonrecognition.com/ourknowledgebase.php), we’ve discovered a new recognition social media site that we think is a great and easy way to share the love throughout an organization.  The site is called SPARCET and is a way for your company to send notes and share kudos on the web.  We think it’s pretty innovative! Check it out at www.sparcet.com and let us know what you think!

For more information on ways to maximize your employee recognition program, visit www.herndonrecognition.com