The Economy and Recognition

The world is a very different place than it was six months ago or for that matter three weeks ago.

People are losing their jobs and unemployment is rising. And it’s only going to get worse.

But if history has taught us anything, these things are cyclical. The economy will get better and people will go back to work.

What will not change is the fact that there will soon be more jobs than people to fill them. Demographics dictates this, not the economy.

But today's economic challenges do offer forward looking companies a great opportunity and that is to embed recognition into your corporate culture.

There is a lot of fear out there right now. Employees are not necessarily looking for pay increases but what they are looking for is open and honest communication. They need to know their work is being appreciated and this is where effective recognition strategies can play a huge role.

Recognition doesn't need to cost a lot. As I mentioned in a previous post, it starts with a name!

Reach out and engage your employees especially in these tough times.

Embed recognition into your culture. Make it part of your DNA and when things turnaround, your employees will remember and stay with you. Not only that, they will become your "recruiting" ambassadors.

George Washington didn't pay his band of revolutionaries a lot but if you study his management style you will see he gave them something far more valuable, he gave them recognition and hope. He turned them into patriots.

More Help From Your Friends!

Another great place to go for information is the Incentive Marketing Association.

This is the world's leading organization on incentives and incentive marketing.

This association is for providers only. Within the IMA there are a number of different Strategic Industry Groupings (SIGs).

Each SIG has a specific area of interest. For instance, there are geographic SIGs. European, Canadian and Australian members all have their own SIGs.

Then there are industry specific SIGs for companies who are focused on global programs, gift cards, performance etc.

I'm proud to have been a founder of the IMA's Recognition Council SIG last year and currently sit as its President. The IMA and each one of its SIGs are helping to enhance our industry and provide thought leadership.

While membership is closed to providers, the IMA website and those of its SIGs does provide valuable information in the form of white papers, articles and webinars open to the public.

Since I'm into shameless self-promotion I urge you to visit my SIG... http://www.recognitioncouncil.org/!

A Little Help From Your Friends

Couldn't we all use a little help from our friends?

The recognition and incentive industry has some super associations that you can use for research and unbiased third validation.

Over the next few weeks I'm going to spotlight several.

The first organization that comes to mind is Recognition Professionals International .

This international organization is dedicated to embedding recognition as a business strategy in companies large and small.

Its membership consists of practitioners and providers split about 75/25%.

It holds an annual sharing summit and has become famous for its Certified Recognition Professional (CRP) courses based on seven best practice recognition standards.

It also holds its annual Best Practice competition. This competition judges recognition programs, large and small, from all over the world against the seven best practice standards.

It also provides a ton of research and everyday common sense ideas. It has a wonderful sense of community... I should know! I, along with many of my Rideau colleagues have been members since 2001. Also in the spirit of full disclosure... I've been on RPl's board since 2004. And no, contrary to what my colleagues at Rideau think... I did earn my CRP certification!!!

Do You Have Employee Mercenaries or Patriots?

I believe there are two types of employees... those who I categorize as "mercenaries" and those who I call "patriots."

Which do you have?

Because the choice is entirely up to you... if you or your senior management think all your employees care about is cold hard cash you most likely will have a lot of mercenaries.

The problem with these folks is they have a bad habit of quitting the company if someone offers them more money.

Perhaps even worse, is when employee mercenaries stay with your company but disengage when they feel you don't pay them enough!

Great companies hire employee patriots who realize that employees want much more than cash. They want the opportunity to do exciting work, to feel part of a team, to develop and advance and to be recognized for who they are and what they do each and every day.

Employee patriots aren't just there for the money and they are truly committed.

What Makes A Recognition Expert?

All too often I have attended industry conferences and seen many so called "recognition and reward experts."

Scratch a bit deeper and the veneer comes off! I don't mean to demean, but there are a lot of people out there who are "reward" experts but they sure aren't "recognition" experts.
Recognition and rewards are very different things.

Rewards are material things. Cold hard cash, merchandise, gift cards are all examples of rewards. They are easily understood because they cost a certain amount and are distributed a certain way. There are a lot of reward experts.

Recognition on the other hand, is a feeling, an emotion. It is not easily quantified... ever try measuring how deeply you love your wife? In many cases it is not easily distributed or given.
So how do you determine whether you are speaking to a recognition or reward expert? It’s relatively simple.

• Ask what trade organizations the person belongs to.
• Are these organizations focused on products or on the art and science of recognition?
• Do they have a professional certification? For instance, have they taken Recognition Professionals International "Certified Recognition Professional" (CRP) course?
• When they speak to you, is it about product and delivery or about emotions?

Remember, just because you give someone a gold watch, doesn't mean you have recognized them!

The Most Powerful Recognition Tool in the World

In World at Work’s Trends in Employee Recognition 2008 survey, it was found that nearly 90% companies in North America have recognition programs. Yet, according to research by Gallup, only 35% of people surveyed said they received recognition for good work in the last year. Why is there such a huge gap?

I believe most companies place far too much emphasis on “rewards” and far too little “real recognition.”

I live in Montreal, a wonderful multi-cultural and multi-lingual city (great food too!). Our local newspaper, The Gazette, is currently running an ad campaign to boost circulation and readership. Their full page ads feature lots of white space and the simple slogan “Words Matter.”

I couldn’t agree more… especially in the recognition business.

Words are the most powerful recognition tool in the world. If spoken from the heart, they can inspire us, lift us up and take us to a higher place.

In my opinion, it's not about “what” you give... it's about “how” you give it! And words play a huge role in the “how”!

Cash is Not King!!!

Today's post is for those managers who think cash is the most powerful motivational tool available.

I do agree that cash compensation is important. It forms the foundation in Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid.

However, I think it is significant to note that cash sits at the "base" of the pyramid. It is certainly not king of the pyramid!

Cash alone will never take you to the top of Maslow's pyramid. And that's where you want your employees to be... at the top!

Happy! Satisfied! Engaged! Productive!

So how do you get employees to the top?

I believe managers need to "pull" employees up the pyramid! They need to "lend a hand" and they can do this by practicing "Real Recognition" techniques.

Real Recognition is a concept invented by my friend and colleague Roy Saunderson who is the Founder and President of the Recognition Management Institute. Real Recognition is simple enough, all you have to do is remember to actually practice it. For example, he’s blogged about the steps you should take to recognize employees who work from home. “Even a simple question asked in a P.S. tag line in an email can keep you in touch,” says Roy. This of course does not cost anything, and is a lot more meaningful than a check.

Real recognition, while not the only factor, can help managers pull employees up Maslow's pyramid and take them to a higher place.