Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Erika.

She says: “For our non-profit organization, we  have an end of the year banquet where members bring their family and friends and they are recognized by the emcees by giving a short history of things they have done to deserve the accomplishment.”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Tracie.

She says: “Our CEO dresses up as an Incredi-Banker for our recognition events and takes pictures with the award recipients.  He autographs the pictures with a special personalized message to each.  Then we frame it and deliver it to the award recipient.  You can walk around our bank and see all the autographed Incredi-Banker pictures proudly displayed.”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Recognize your co-workers or be recognized with Terryberry’s interactive Peer-to-Peer Program. It’s recognition, social-media style! Get the Free Trial!

In honor of National Nurses Week, thank you to all of the nurses out there who provide care day in and out with skill, compassion, and attentiveness.  It matters.  We appreciate you! 

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Julianna.

She says: “Our company uses a “Thanks” program where managers can recognize employees on-the-spot with e-cards and/or certificates that either have a gift amount attached or is just a thank you. We also give each each employee a personal birthday card signed by the CEO.”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Recognize your co-workers or be recognized with Terryberry’s interactive Peer-to-Peer Program. It’s recognition, social-media style! Get the Free Trial!

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Sandie.
She says: “We have quarterly programs to recognize everyone that will range from lunch to a cappuccino cart serving employees. We always try to incorporate a custom award. We’ve done coolers for the lunches, travel mugs on the coffee day.”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Incorporate a Branded Award When Recognizing Your Employees

A variety of factors were linked to feeling undervalued at work:

•  Having fewer opportunities for involvement in decision making (24 percent vs. 84 percent)
• Being less satisfied with the potential for growth and advancement (9 percent vs. 70 percent)
• Having fewer opportunities to use flexible work arrangements (20 percent vs. 59 percent)
• Being less likely to say they are receiving adequate monetary compensation (18 percent vs. 69 percent) and non-monetary rewards (16 percent vs. 65 percent).

This survey was conducted between January 12 and 19, 2012 on behalf of  the American Psychological Association (APA) by Harris Interactive.

Victor Lipman offers up two observations he has made after decades of management, as well as a brief story about his own simple “Thank you” he received:

1) “Recognition (or lack thereof) is always a key element of employee engagement.

2)  In a business environment where people are extraordinarily busy and routinely asked to do more with less, all too often successful tasks and projects are completed without recognition for those involved.

The pace is frantic so when one job is done, it’s on to the next.  Taking the exceptionally small amount of time it requires – by email, vmail, text, tweet, FaceBook, phone… or best yet (a novel idea) in person – to stop what you’re doing and say a simple thank you is one of the easiest, cheapest and best investments an executive can make.

Appreciation can be a difference maker, just as silence can.   A brief story from my own career…

Back in another millennium I once wrote a speech for a chief operating officer addressing a major sales conference.  The COO, a man of around 60, had made a habit of running three miles a day every day, literally never missing a day for over 700 days, even in the coldest months of a New England winter.  The speech focused on his running and what it meant to him, but more importantly it was a metaphor for the day-in, day-out discipline that a top salesperson needs, and ultimately the satisfaction derived from such focused efforts.   It was a personal, heartfelt message.

I didn’t attend the conference, which was thousands of miles away, but the day after it ended I received at my home a large fruit basket.  With it was a short note from the COO telling me simply how he appreciated my help with the speech and how well it had been received.

That was many years ago.  I never forgot the gesture, and you can be sure it forever shaped my opinion of the man and the lengths I would go to do my utmost best for him.”

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Susan.

She says: “Our successful Recognition Program is the Shout-out board. External and internal clients would be able to email a compliment to an employee and they would print out the compliment and stick it on the outside of their cube. Then, when someone from another team walks by and sees the compliment, they shout-out a great job or well done!”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Michael Alter.
He says: “I recently hosted SurePayroll’s version of the People’s Choice Awards, the SureChoice Awards. I gave employees titles like Best Utility Player, MVP, and my favorite, Best New Mistake. I dressed up in a tux and handed out medals, plaques, cash, and popcorn. We made a big event out of it.”

The article, “Now’s a Good Time to Reward Employees,”  written by Michael Alter offers up some great ideas to keep in mind when it comes to rewarding and recognizing your employees.

Alter offers an important guideline to keep in mind when thinking of the best ways to show your employees how much they matter:

“Make rewards personalized and meaningful.

Cash is nice, but it may not have as lasting an effect as you would think. An award an employee can hang on his desk, an iPad he can take home, tickets to see his favorite sports team — these are gifts that carry over, and provide a lasting impression of what your company stands for.

Whenever possible, win over the family.

Whether a company picnic or a dinner party, some extra vacation days, or even a free family wellness checkup at work, you have to remember that each one of your employees is connected to a whole network of friends and family outside the office. Let them know the overall well-being of all of them is important to you.

Be unpredictable.

It’s great to reward your employees because they’ve gone above and beyond their normal duties, but you don’t want them to go above and beyond just because they think there’s a reward in it for them. Give out recognition when employees are least expecting it, and they’ll find it all that much more gratifying.

The extended benefit of surprising hard workers and dependable team members with rewards is that it can raise the morale of your whole staff. It shows you’re paying attention to those who are really trying to create a successful and vibrant workplace for everyone, not just for their own gain.”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!

Today’s WOW Wednesday comes from Jackqueline.
She says: “Our company has a monthly recognition meeting where the managers serve the employees a snack. We celebrate employees who have a birthday that month by giving them a birthday card signed by all managers along with everyone singing Happy Birthday to them. We recognize those employees who have anniversaries for that month and if it is a milestone anniversary we give them a cake to take home.”

Share your own “WOW Wednesday” tip or story. Leave a comment here or post on Terryberry’s Facebook Page or Twitter using hashtag #WOWWED. Make it a WOW day!