Getting Recognition Right!

Both my colleague Roy Saunderson from the Recognition Management Institute and Elvie Gee Human Resources Director at Johnson & Johnson Medical Products (JJMP) will be speaking THIS WEDNESDAY, March 31st, at the Strategic Capability Network conference in Toronto.

Roy will describe how a well planned recognition program can accomplish all your corporate goals, and Ellie will share JJMP's evolution in creating an effective recognition strategy, the education and communication supports they have created, and the impact these initiatives have had on their recognition practices and programs.

But act quickly, you only have until tomorrow to register!

Art from the Hart

Like a gardener takes care of her garden, managers must take care of their employees. If you want engaged employees that take pride in their work and their company, the relationship between employee and manager must be consistently tended to. According to Gallup Research, “Despite efforts to keep the personal and professional realms separate, it's becoming increasingly apparent that workplace relationships are personal and that negative relationship dynamics have far-reaching and long-term consequences for organizations.” Click here to read more.

Leadership: The Heart of Sustainable Recognition

On the next Real Recognition Radio show (hosted by my colleagues Roy Saunderson and Max Brown), the guys will be interviewing Jim Kouzes, who's been hailed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the 12 best executive educators in the United States!

His book, “The Leadership Challenge,” has sold nearly 2 MILLION copies and he continues to publish and share leadership best practices around the world.

On Real Recognition Radio, Jim will share his thoughts on the leadership challenges of today to create a better workplace. How do you bring out the best in someone? How do you get employees to fulfill their potential?

Tune in on Tuesday, March 30th at 1 PM ET as Jim reveals REAL ways the right kind of leadership, based on thoughtfulness and consideration, can make a world of difference. It'll be a great show!

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!