Some Engaging Reading

Not too long ago, the British Government released a comprehensive report on employee engagement entitled “Engaging For Success: Enhancing Performance Through Employee Engagement.” It consists of five chapters:

1. Employee Engagement – What, Why And How
2. The Case for Employee Engagement – The Evidence
3. The Barriers to Engagement
4. Enablers of Engagement – What Has to Happen to Make Engagement Work?
5. Recommendations

If you don’t have the time, I strongly recommend that you read David Zinger’s 21 Powerful Points on Employee Engagement From the UK MacLeod EE Report. David is devoted to employee engagement and in my humble opinion, one of the world’s leading experts on the subject.

David’s 21 Points will probably whet your appetite for more and you can pick it up the full report here.

It makes for very engaging reading!

My Friend Mark!

Some more words of wisdom from my friend Mark!

Praise is well, compliment is well, but affection--that is the last and final and most precious reward that any man can win, whether by character or achievement.
- Affection speech, 1907

The buck may stop here, but how did I do?

This Thursday (tomorrow), both myself and my colleague Roy Saunderson, President of the Recognition Management Institute, will be interviewed live on the Voice America radio show!

We'll be discussing the ins and outs of employee rewards and recognition: what it is, what it costs and why it matters.

Tune in tomorrow, August 27th, at 7 PM ET

Looking for more information on incentives?

Follow Incentive Magazine on their new twitter page! http://twitter.com/Incentive_Mag

Ask the Experts

Looking for more information on recognition? In the August edition of Incentive Magazine’s “Ask the Experts,” my colleagues Michelle Smith, Dee Hansford, Kevin Cronin and I answer the following questions:

• To be respectful to our board and shareholders, shouldn’t we put a hold on our recognition programs until the economy completely turns around?
• We are getting ready to launch our first employee survey and want to keep it simple. Do you have any suggestions about what questions to ask for feedback on recognition?
• Is recognition less meaningful if you do not give a reward along with the recognition?
• Can you give me some of the “do”s and “don’t”s of recognition communications?

My contribution dealt with the last question. Find out how to create the ultimate communications strategy around your recognition program here!

Do you have any other recognition questions? Drop me a note in the blog’s comment section below!

New picture of the week

Mont Tremblant Dream by Peter Hart

My Friend Barbara Ruddy!

In 2001, I attended my first Recognition Professionals International conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was a great experience. I learned a lot and made many new friends.

One of them was Barbara Ruddy!

I’m sure I wasn’t the only person at the conference who wished it could have gone on longer. That was because of Barbara. She was the Conference Chair and her hospitality and organization made it a memorable experience for me and many others!

At the time Barbara was working for the State of Arizona’s Department of Economic Security. She had designed and implemented an employee recognition system for more than 10,000 employees!

Barbara is very involved in Recognition Professionals International. She acts as the Chairperson for the prestigious Recognition Champion Award program in honor of her dear friend Pamela Sabin. Over the years Barbara served on RPI’s Executive and Advisory Boards. She was also the first certified instructor authorized to teach all RPI Certified Recognition Professional® courses. This year Barbara won RPI’s Spotlight Award which honors her recognition career and the activities that she has done to improve RPI and its mission.

Over the years our friendship grew and it is with no small measure of pride that I was so pleased to see her join Roy Saunderson and his team at the Recognition Management Institute.

I know that Barbara will continue to teach and help others understand what Real Recognition is really about!

Welcome to our family Barbara!