Recognition from the Hart: Remote Rewards for Telecommuters

Employers Web have just published my new article, "Remote Rewards for Telecommuters."

More and more employees find themselves working from home, and this has introduced new challenges for managers to keep employees feeling engaged and part of the team.

Click here to get some easy practical recognition tips you can use with your employees today!

Thank You Thoughts

"Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves." - Ambrose Bierce

Giving Recognition Life Through Stories

Next Tuesday's Real Recognition Radio show (hosted by RMI's Roy Saunderson and S. Max Brown) will deal with the power of storytelling and its effects in the workplace. Roy and Max will be interviewing Annie Hart, speaker and trainer on individual development in the fields of business, education, health care and non-profit.

During the show, she will show how stories are one of the most powerful and effective forms of communication today. According to Annie, companies that want to engage and motivate their employees and be on the leading edge of change need to tell more stories: the impact of a story is immediate and visceral.

Tune in next Tuesday, March 23rd, at 1 PM ET, and join our hosts in an engaging and lively discussion about how the power of stories can make an impact in every area of your life.

Kudos to the Tax Department!

Like most people I’m not a big fan of the tax department, however, kudos should go to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that recently revised its rules on gifts and awards.

A number of years ago the CRA changed its taxation policies on the taxation of gifts and awards. On the whole, our industry viewed these changes very positively, however there were some areas that we felt could be improved upon.

The most contentious was to limit the number of gifts and or awards to two items having a total value of no more than $500. The CRA has amended this policy and as of January 1st, 2010, there no longer are limits to the number of tax-free non-cash gifts and awards you may give to an employee in a given year.

Another issue CRA clarified and simplified was to create a single $500 exemption that employers can now apply against the total value of all the qualifying non-cash gifts and awards you give to an employee. So, if you give an employee gifts and awards with a total value of $650, there is a taxable benefit of $150 ($650-$500).

Follow the link for CRA’s revised policy.

Many companies and groups asked CRA to make these changes and it is good to know that the department does listen!

Now if CRA would only reduce the service award threshold down from every five years to something that reflects the fact that people change jobs every three years, I’d be really happy! And while they’re at it, perhaps they could consider allowing points based performance awards up to $500 to qualify for exemption as well!

But I guess these are battles for another day!

Art from the Hart - The Power of Relationships!

This is a painting I drew up of my wife and daughter, simply, it’s about their wonderful relationship. And this reminds me that I can never overstate the power of relationships, not only in your personal life, but also at work.
Here’s a nice little article from the Gallup Management Journal summing it up.
If you build a genuine relationships with colleagues and employees, you will build a strong, powerful and positive work environment. As they say in this article, “Money can't buy love -- or loyalty”

Engage Your Employees!

I’ve had a few posts announcing some of the great shows my colleagues S. Max Brown and Roy Saunderson put together for the Real Recognition Radio program, if you happen to have missed one of their shows, you can still catch them in the archives section of the Real Recognition Radio program homepage or on iTunes.

For the next Real Recognition Radio episode, Roy and Max will be interviewing feedback expert Sonia Di Maulo and business coach Tanveer Naseer, who teach companies how to improve people, performance, and business growth and development. They will share advice on how to create a better workplace, how to get the most out of your employees while helping to create a positive and productive workplace through the power of communication and feedback.

Stay tuned next Tuesday. March 16th, at 1 PM ET.

John Hope Bryant on Real Recognition Radio

Don't forget to tune in today, Tuesday, March 9th, at 1 PM ET to listen to RMI's Roy Saunderson and S. Max Brown, interview John Hope Bryant once described by Former U.S. President Bill Clinton as, “A 41 year-old whirlwind of ideas and action. Lean, intense, focused, and completely positive in his belief in the potential of poor people to prosper, with ‘a hand up and not a hand out.’”

John Hope Bryant is a philanthropic entrepreneur and businessman, in the business of empowerment. This includes Mr. Bryant’s non-profit work throughout the United States, through Operation HOPE, his global non-profit work led by HOPE Global Initiatives, his vast work in public policy, and his increasing portfolio in “thought leadership.”

Click here to tune in at 1 PM ET, or listen to the archives.